The Cutest Meetings
by DarylDixon'sgirl1985
Summary: This is a collection of Meet Cutes made for Meet Cute Marathon over on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Chapter one - A always bakes a cake for new neighbors on their floor. B just moved in.
1. Cake Day Afternoon

**Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by Ancient Studies: Love Potions assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Pairing the Character, Meet Cute Marathon, Liza's Loves, and Wacky Wandmakers on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Spring Bingo, and Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Ancient Studies: Love Potions assignment: Task 1 - Write about unrequited love/infatuation. **

**Insane Prompt List: 570. (food) ice cream**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Flower Crown, Price 700 words, Lily Evans**

**Pairing the Character: Sirius/Lily**

**Meet Cute Marathon: A always bakes a cake for new neighbors on their floor. B just moved in. **

**Liza's Loves: Raspberry Diva - Write about Sirius Black.**

**Wacky Wandmakers: English Oak (character) Sirius Black, and Thunderbird Tail Feather (character) Lily Evans**

**Spring Bingo: 3D (eggs), 1,434 words**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,434 words **

**Warning for slight bit of out of character and extreme fluff. Word count is 1,434 words. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter in this collection of Meet Cutes called The Cutest Meeting. **

Lily Evans loved baking when she had nothing better to do which wasn't often. Her free time often consisted of visiting her friends, Marlene and Dorcas, who worked nearby at St. Mungos. But today was a very busy day at the wizarding hospital. It was so busy that she was told that her friends needed to take a rain check on their lunch date.

This was alright with Lily because that gave her the time she needed to pull out her newest cake recipe. She'd been meaning to bake this cake for sometime now. Ever since she'd seen the handsome dark-haired man looking at apartment 3B which was right next door to hers.

"I hope he likes chocolate cake," she whispered to herself as she gathered her cake ingredients. She really did feel bad that she didn't start this one before now. She usually had the cakes ready to go when her new neighbors would start moving in.

"Don't scratch the floors, Peter," she heard her new neighbors voice, a handsome rugged voice that sent chills down her spine.

She hoped that whoever Peter was, he was listening to his friend. The landlord didn't look kindly on dings or anything breaking in his building. She remembers not to fondly how Mr. Riddle reacted to being asked to find a plumber for her kitchen sink. She can still hear the exasperated sigh and mutter of "Kids nowadays don't know the honesty of a hard days work," as he shuffled off to comply and find a plumber.

Laughing to herself as she got the baking tins and bowls down from the cabinet she set to work on baking the cakes. She walked over and preheated the oven to a perfect 350 degrees. Going to her recipe she looked over it.

"Oh no," Lily sighed. The first instruction told her not only to preheat the oven but also to grease the pans with a spray of sorts. "I hope butter will work too." She walked over to the fridge and pulled out a stick of butter.

Walking back over to the pans she picked one up and peeling back the wrapper she started to rub the butter on the pan gently. "That should work," she whispered to herself as she lightly sprinkled a coating of flour over the butter on the pan.

She then put the two cups of flour, two cups of sugar, a little cocoa powder, a couple of teaspoons of baking powder, a teaspoon and a half of baking soda, some salt, and bit of espresso powder into a bowl. Reading the recipe to make sure she had gotten the right ingredients in the right bowl, she began to mix them together. She mixed and she mixed until it looked the right consistency of chocolaty yumminess in powder form.

"Now we gather our wet ingredients," she said heading over to the fridge to get the buttermilk she'd gotten specifically for the cake, and eggs. "This is going to be my best cake yet. I really hope that he likes it."

Instead of adding the milk, oil, eggs, and vanila one at a time like her mother had taught her to, Lily put them all in together hoping to save time. She wanted to get this cake finished before the new neighbor finished moving his stuff in. He didn't seem to be slowing down any which meant she had to cut corners and hope everything was done right.

Picking up the electric mixer she placed it in her bowl of ingredients and turned it on. The whir of the mixer cover the sounds of her cursing as the flour and egg goop flew up into her face. Quickly turning the mixer off she removed it from the bowl.

"Thankfully that didn't send all of the mixture flying," she said, wiping her face off with a towel, her green eyes sparkling with mirth. "Let's try this again with less mess this time."

She mixed and she mixed and she mixed some more. She mixed until the ingredients were well combined and the batter looked like she knew it should. She looked at the recipe one more time to make sure she'd done everything and saw there was one more step but it didn't make sense to her. It said she needed to stir in one cup of boiling water but it didn't say why. So she decided to leave that step out of the process and just finish up.

Once the cake batter was in the pans and the pans were in the ovens. She started in one her famous buttercream icing. She'd been making it since she was able to first help her mother bake and it was one of her favorite things to make. Especially during those younger days when she was allowed to lick the spoon once the baking was done.

She must not have been paying close attention to the time because she started to smell something a bit off coming from the oven. She looked up to make sure she wasn't burning the cake when she noticed her timer had gone off about three minutes ago.

"Don't panic," she told herself. "It could be alright."

She walked over to the oven and opened the door. She silently thanked her lucky stars, Merlin, and anyone else she could think to thank. The cake hadn't burned that much and it was done.

While the cake was cooling she went down to the row of mailboxes in the apartment interior and checked her mail. She also had ulterior motives for doing this too. She wanted to make sure that the new neighbor and his friends weren't already done moving his stuff into the apartment next door too.

"Almost," the rugged voice called from the doorway.

Lily gave a yelp and raced back up the stairs. She knew she should give the cake some more time to rest but she didn't have time for that. She quickly plated it up scraping off the far too burned parts and started to ice the cake. Which was a lot harder than she thought it would be because the cake was still slightly warm.

Looking over her masterpiece she sighed. It looked like a three year old had thrown it together and not a twenty some year old. But she had no other choice but to present her mess of a cake. She hadn't missed the chance to meet a new neighbor yet and she wasn't going to miss out with this one.

Gathering her courage and the cake, she walked out the door. Turning towards the open apartment door next to hers, she raised her hand to knock on the door.

"Go on in," an irritated looking black haired hazel eyed man said as he pushed past her. "The git is being insufferable." He stormed off down the hall without another word to Lily.

"Hello," Lily called as she made her way into the apartment.

She looked around to find the apartment was decorated in a sort of bohemian chic sort of way. Something she would never have thought someone as outdoorsy as this new neighbor would decorate his place like.

"Hello," she called yet again when she got no answer. "Is anyone here? Your friend told me to come that…"

"I was acting like an insufferable git, I heard," the ruggedly handsome voice said from the doorway of one of the rooms.

Lily turned towards the doorway. Her eyes widened at what she found standing there. The man was the most handsome person she'd ever seen. Tall, dark-haired, grey-eyed. She didn't even mind that his hair was almost down to his shoulders. It looked good on him.

"I'm sorry for staring," Lily said, holding out the cake. "I'm your new neighbor, Lily Evans, from next door." She nodded towards the right where her apartment was.

"I'm Sirius," the man said with a smile that lit his grey eyes up. "Sirius Black. The insufferable git you met on your way in was my roommate James Potter." He noticed the cake in her hands for the time. "Is that for me?"

Lily nodded speechlessly.

"Would you care to share a piece?" He nodded to the kitchen. "I've got some nice peanut butter ice cream that would go great with that."

"That sounds amazing," Lily said. She followed Sirius into the kitchen and helped him get down some plates and bowls for the ice cream.

As she bit into the first bite of the cake, she couldn't help but think this was her best cake day yet.

**I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this collection of Meet Cutes as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	2. Bar Stool Love

**Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Monthly Matchmakers Club, Meet Cute Marathon, Mario Day, Liza's Loves, and Crazy Cones Contraptions on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Spring Bingo, and Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment: Task 5 - Write about a character having a crush and acting on it. **

**Insane Prompt List: 422. (Romantic Pairing) Fleur/Hermione**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Accessory Set - Price 600 words, romance genre**

**Monthly Matchmakers Club: Fleur Delacour/Hermione Granger (dialogue) "What are you doing tonight?"**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Person A asks Person B to pretend to be their date at a bar to prevent an ex from talking to them. **

**Mario Day: 19. (character) Fleur Delacour**

**Liza's Loves: Red Beacon - Write about a Gryffindor.**

**Crazy Cones Contraptions: Cherry Cream Puff - (genre) romance**

**Spring Bingo: 1A (pink), 1,203 words**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,203 words**

**Warning for extreme fluff and tiny bit of Ron and Bill bashing if you squint. Word count is 1,203 words. I hope you all enjoy chapter of The Cutest Meetings Bar Stool Love.**

"What are you doing tonight?" the french accented voice asked from behind Hermione making her jump.

"Fleur," Hermione said, holding her hand to her chest and trying to get her heart rate back down again, "I didn't see you there."

"I'm trying not to be seen."

"Why?" Hermoine asked finally able to calm down after the slight jump scare she'd just gotten from her blonde friend.

"It's Bill." Fleur pointed towards the doorway of the bar where not only Bill stood but Hermione's own ex Ron was there as well. "Do you think you could do me a favor?"

"It depends on what kind of favor it is," Hermione said as she saw Bill and Ron start to head towards the bar. Not that she had anything against her ex or his oldest brother or anything like that. She just didn't think it would be appropriate for them to be seen arguing after their long drawn out divorce.

"I need you to pretend you are my date for the night," Fleur said suddenly with a pleading look on her face. The blue eyes just begging her to help her out of this situation she'd found herself in. "I told Bill I was meeting a date here when I dropped off our children at his mother's house so that they could spend time with their father."

Hermione's mouth gaped open at what Fleur had just told her. "He's supposed to be spending time with the children and instead he's here checking up on you?" Hermione knew Bill was taught better than that. Molly raised her children better than that.

Fleur nodded. She looked towards her fast approaching ex and his younger brother. She needed to know the answer to her question and needed to know it soon. "Hermione?"

Without thinking twice, which wasn't very Hermione like of her, Hermione Granger found herself nodding in agreement to the arrangement. It was just one little fake date, right? What was the harm in that?

"Thank you, Hermione," Fleur whispered. "You won't regret this. I promise."

Hermione's head was spinning at this point as she realized what she'd just gotten herself into. She had agreed to pretend to be on a date with her crush since fourth year at Hogwarts. A pretty pink color crossed her cheeks as Fleur led her to a portion of the bar further away from the fast approaching figures of Bill and Ron Weasley.

Fleur smiled at Hermione as though she was listening to something the other woman was saying. A small laugh escaped her lips that sounded like the tinkling of bells and made Hermione's heart beat faster.

Reaching across the table Hermione gently took Fleur's hand and laced her fingers through the petite blonde woman's. Not knowing what else to do she launched into a story about how her day went.

"The funniest thing happened to me at work today," Hermione said, pretending not to notice Bill and Ron standing not too far away. "You know how everyone loves Weasley Wizard Wheezes products?"

Fleur nodded attention fully on Hermione. "Something tells me that this has something to do with one of their newest products?"

Hermione nodded laughing. "It's supposed to be a love potion or so George keeps saying," she said, seeing the look on Ron's face at the mention of George and the new product. "He gave me some to test out."

"Did you?" giggled Fleur, acting like a teenager flirting with the person they had a crush on for the longest time.

"Not yet."

"Do you want to try it? What does it do anyway?"

"It's supposed to point you to the person you love," Hermione said, waving her hand as though she didn't believe that for a moment. Which was the truth of the matter. She didn't need some potion to tell her who she loved. She could very well find that out by herself but looking across the table at Fleur's eager face made her reconsider. "I suppose, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. The worst that could happen is nothing at all, right?"

Fleur nodded. "How does it work? Is it something you drink or does it work some other way?"

The hum of the active bar and feeling of both Bill and Ron's eyes on them gave Hermione the chills. She shrugged.

"I don't know," she admitted, "but the instructions are on the bottle."

She fished in her purse for the bottle that George had given her earlier today and upon finding it pulled it out of her purse. Holding it close to the nearby light she read the directions aloud.

"For finding the love of your life," she read gently turning the bottle, "open the bottle and take a handful of the potion and sprinkle it into the air. The droplets should form into an arrow that will point to your true heart's desire." She squinted as she tried to read the tiny print underneath the instructions but couldn't quite make out what it said.

"It sounds easy enough," Fleur said, reaching across the table for the bottle.

Hermione pulled it back. If this worked the way that George put on the bottle maybe she would find out that Fleur was her true love. But if it didn't what would happen then? Without a second thought to what she was doing, Hermione poured a handful of the potion into cupped hand and sprinkled it gently into the air.

At first nothing happened and Hermione was about to give the experiment up for good and suggest they call the bartender down and order a drink. But then the strangest thing happened. It didn't happen the way that was described on the bottle. There was no magical arrow pointing to her destiny. However, there was a stain of Hermione's favorite color rose petal pink leading across the table to the fair slender hand in her own.

"Did it work?" Fleur asked, looking around for the arrow.

"I don't know," Hermione hesitated, looking at their hands and pink stain that colored them and the table leading towards Fleur. "I think I should take a second look at this bottle."

Reading over the bottle again, the smaller print became a little clearer. Hermione read it aloud, "Reactions may vary based on what the user needs to see to find their true love."

A laugh escaped Hermione's lips as she realized that George knew her better than she knew herself. He knew that she would need to see the truth in bold colors and that is exactly what he provided her with.

"You have to be frickin' kidding me," hissed Ron, as he and Bill pushed past them and stormed out of the bar.

"Perhaps, instead of a fake date, we could make this into a real date?" Hermione asked hopeful that Fleur would take her up on the offer.

"I would love that, Hermione," Fleur said, kissing her cheek making Hermione blush the same color as their hands.

Hermione smiled as she led Fleur to the door of the bar. She knew of a small movie theater that was playing one of her favorite old fashion movies. She was sure that Fleur would enjoy it.

**I hope you all enjoyed Bar Stool Love as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	3. The Walk of Shame

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Meet Cute Marathon, To All The Characters I've Loved Before, Crazy Cones Contraptions, Wacky Wandmakers, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Spring Bingo, and Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment: Task 8 - Write about someone expressing raw, open emotions to another/others.**

**Insane Prompt List: 393. (romantic pairing) Oliver/Fred**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Rainbow Wig Price 1,500 words, feature a queer main character.**

**Meet Cute Marathon: We both awkwardly meet on a Saturday/Sunday morning...doing the walk of shame. **

**To All the Characters I've Loved Before: Alec Lightwood - (sexuality) gay, (action) scowling **

**Crazy Cones Contraptions: Chili Chip Supreme - (action) blushing/flushing**

**Wacky Wandmakes: Elm Wood Wand (AU) Fred Lives, and Jackalope Antler (character) Fred Weasley**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Tetty (scenario) being used by another person. **

**Spring Bingo: 3C (warmth), 1,560 words**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,560 words**

**Warning for mentions of one night stand and being used by someone in a position of power. Word count is 1,560 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings The Walk of Shame. **

Oliver knew one thing as he struggled free of the burly arm that held him in place in the king size bed of the owner of the Quidditch team he was trying to get in on. That thing was that he was furious. Furious and a bit disgusted at what he would do to be able to play Quidditch for a team. Any team really.

Quickly dressing in the crumpled clothes he'd worn over here last night, he checked to make sure the dark-haired man was still asleep. Once he was sure the other man was asleep still he made his way to the bedroom door.

"I don't think I want to play for you anyway, you…" He went on to call the man every curse word he could think of mentally.

The smell of warm coffee wafted from the kitchen making Oliver wish he could have a cup. He was tired after last night's groveling for a job. One he no longer wanted because of what he had to do last night.

"There has to be a better way to get ahead in the Quidditch world than this," he whispered to himself, sitting down and putting his shoes on. Tying the laces just so. He didn't want anything to stop him from getting as far away from this place and its owner as possible.

* * *

Meanwhile across the hallway, Fred Weasley was crawling out of the bed of his ex-girlfriend, Angelina. It wasn't that he didn't care about Angelina. He did care about her, it just wasn't in that sort of way any more. A fact that Angelina didn't seem to quite get.

"Sorry to leave you like this, Angelina," he whispered, tucking the blankets around her to keep her warm.

She murmured something as she snuggled closer to the warmth from his pillow. She put her arms around the pillow, more than likely thinking it was him she was embracing. Letting out a yawn she fell back into a deeper sleep.

Fred quickly scrambled back into the clothes he'd worn over to Angelina's last night. She'd taken the care to hang them over a chair nearly for him at some point after he'd gone to sleep. He was thankful for that. He didn't want to have to explain the situation to his mother. He didn't think she'd be able to accept what was happening between him and Angelina anyway.

"I love you, Fred," Angelina murmur in her sleep, reminding Fred belated of another reason he didn't like to stay and watch Angelina sleep. She talked in her sleep and this wasn't the first time something like this had been said.

Grabbing his brown jacket after tying his shoes, he made his way quickly to the living room door. Slowly opening it he cursed when he heard the door across the hall open too. Not that whoever lived there probably knew him but he couldn't take that chance.

* * *

Oliver stopped hand still on the doorknob as he heard a male voice cursing from across the hall. The voice sounded vaguely familiar from somewhere but he couldn't really place it. He didn't want to place it because that meant that someone who knew him from Hogwarts would find out about the shameful way he was acting.

Footsteps sounded in the hall and Oliver peeked out to make sure it wasn't one of his friends from school. He felt another stab of fury when he saw that it was one of his old school teammates Fred Weasley. How could he put himself in this position? How could he explain what he was doing here to Fred if the other man asked him?

Gathering his courage he stepped into the hall hoping that Fred wouldn't notice that someone else was in the hall with him. He was about to tiptoe down the hallway in the opposite direction of Fred, when the other man noticed he was there.

"Oliver Wood, is that you?" Fred asked squinting down the hallway because of the early Sunday morning sunlight streaming through the window. The red-haired man looked much the same as Oliver remembered him. Tall, red-haired, hazel-eyed and something he'd just noticed muscled.

A slight blush crossed Oliver's face as Fred started to walk towards him. He nodded. "Fred Weasley?" he questioned. "I didn't know you lived in this building. What apartment is yours?"

"I...I don't live here," Fred stuttered out. "Do you?"

Another stab of fury went through Oliver at the thought of what he'd had to do last night. He shook his head. "Me either."

"I heard you were interviewing with the owner of one of the newer Quidditch teams," Fred said, trying to make idle chit-chat and take away from the fact that he'd just come out of Angelina's doorway. A fact Oliver hadn't failed to notice.

"Regrettably," Oliver said, angrily.

"I'm guessing it wasn't a good fit?"

Oliver's face went beet red as the blush that had started out a slight pink grew further across his face. He stuttered trying to think of something to say. Anyway to answer the question but Fred didn't wait for one.

Reaching over he gently plucked something away from Oliver's sandy hair and held it out to him. It was a feather from one of the pillows on the bed last night. "I think you've got a feather in your hair," he said, a blushing forming on his face. He must have been embarrassed for Oliver's sake. After all what professional Quidditch played had to jump through these sorts of hoops to get a job. "It was that sort of an interview, eh?"

Oliver sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he nodded. He felt dirty and used and like he didn't deserve anything good to happen to him.

"I'll kick his arse for you, if you want me to?" Fred said.

"You'll what?"

"You heard me, Wood. I said I'd kick his arse for you, if you wanted me to." Fred's voice had taken on an angry tone Oliver had never heard the red-haired beater use before. "It's not right what some people are willing to make other people do just to get their dream jobs. People like that deserve to feel as low as they make their victims feel."

"People will hear, Fred," Oliver whispered hissed.

A scowl crossed Fred's face as he heard what Oliver said. "I would think that you would at least want people to know what kind of person their neig…"

"I just want to forget about it, alright?" Oliver felt tears sting his brown eyes as he walked towards the doorway which was in sight. "I just want to pretend last night didn't happen."

"But it did, Oliver. You were taken advantage of because you wanted a job you've dreamed of having your entire life and that's not right."

Oliver let his shoulder's slump as he realized that Fred was right. He had allowed himself to be used by someone else's own sick pleasure. He felt sick to his stomach and felt angrier than he had earlier. Not just at himself but at the man whose apartment he'd just left. If there was one thing Oliver couldn't stand it was people being used.

"Would you care to share a cup of coffee while I write a strongly worded letter to the Daily Prophet about this guy?" Oliver asked, looking over at Fred with a lopsided smile on his face. What Fred had just said was making him feel much braver than when he'd woken up a few minutes ago.

"I'd love that, Oliver," Fred said, looping his arm through Oliver's and leading the way to the exit. "But just so know the offer to kick the guy's arse still stands."

Oliver laughed. "If what I write doesn't work," he said a smile crossing his face, "then you have my permission to kick his arse."

* * *

A few days later, Fed and Oliver sat outside a little coffee shop down the street from Oliver's apartment, sipping on cups of iced coffee with the Daily Prophet spread out in front of them. It was a nice sunny day and their third date that week.

"Did you read the article on the front page of the Prophet, love?" Fred asked as he looked over the top of the paper at Oliver, a smile crossing his face.

Oliver shook his head. He didn't really take Fred for the type that would read the paper before now. He reached out and took paper from his boyfriend and looked at the picture of the owner of Ulster Unicorns being drug off to Azkaban.

"What happened here?" he asked Fred.

Fred shrugged. "I don't know," he said with wicked smirk. "It says that they found out most of the money he got to found his team was from Death Eaters and the torture of Muggles. Couldn't really have that sort running lose, now could we?"

"No, we couldn't," Oliver stated as he read the article underneath the picture about the new team roster for Puddlemore United. His first ever team that he'd been a part of. His eyes widened when he saw his name under the keeper position. He looked over at Fred who was beaming happily at him.

When Oliver had met Fred Weasley outside of that apartment door, doing the walk of shame he never thought he'd be this happy again. He sure was wrong about that.

**I hope you all enjoyed the outcome of The Walk of Shame. **


	4. Temptation

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Demonology: Asmodeus assignment, Insane Prompt List, Meet Cute Marathon, Crazy Cones Contraptions, and Wacky Wandmakers on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker, and Spring Bingo on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Demonology: Asmodeus assignment: Task 2 - Write about someone giving in to temptation. **

**Insane Prompt List: 404. (romantic relationship) Pansy/Millicent**

**Meet Cute Marathon: B contacts A after finding out they are being cheated on by the same C.**

**Crazy Cones Contraptions: Mint Marble Swirl (restriction) Only Slytherins**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Snakewood Wand (restriction) No Gryffindors, and Veela hair core (trait) sensitive**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,399 words**

**Spring Bingo: 1E (tea), 1,399 words**

**Warning for cheating on significant others. Word count is 1,399 words. I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter of The Cutest Meetings Temptation. **

The cell phone vibrated on Draco's nightside table waking Pansy from a sound sleep. She didn't want to invade Draco's privacy. She'd changed a lot from the insecure girl she used to be back in her Hogwarts years. She'd changed enough to know that if you didn't want trouble you didn't stick your nose where it didn't belong.

But as the phone continued to vibrate and vibrate the temptation to answer the phone became stronger. It wasn't that she wanted to meddle or anything like that. She just wanted to know who could possibly be calling Draco at this time of morning.

"No," she told herself, trying to keep from leaning over and peeking at the caller id on the phone. "Draco wouldn't do that to me. I shouldn't do that to him."

Placing her feet on the cold hard wood floor, she gave an involuntary shiver as the phone kept vibrating insistently. Whoever it was, wasn't giving up that easily. She slipped her feet into her pink bunny slipper and pulled her pink terry cloth robe over her shoulder and started to walk towards the door.

It was then that she noticed the first thing wrong about the situation at hand. Draco's phone was over by his work desk at home charging. She knew it was Draco's because of the silver and green phone case he'd been so proud of buying. He was a proud Slytherin, after all.

The temptation to figure out what was going on took over her again and Pansy forgot all about going to find Draco. She walked slowly over to Draco's side of the bed.

Sitting on Draco's bedside table was her own cell phone. The pink and white case shining in the light filtering through the windows. As soon as she got close enough to see the screen it started to light up again. The vert vert sounds of her phone vibrating on the hard wood of the bedside table making her heart pound in dread. She didn't know why but something inside of her was saying that nothing good could come of answering the phone.

But the temptation to figure out what was going on was even stronger than her misgivings of the situation. Pushing a strand of her raven hair out of her face, she reached out and picked up the phone. Something felt very wrong to her. Pushing the answer button she took a deep breath and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello," she said hesitantly.

"Is this Pansy Parkinson?" the familiar sounding voice on the other end of the phone asked. It was definitely a female's voice. One she remembers hearing but can't quite place.

"This is she," Pansy stuttered out nervously. "How can I help you?"

"You don't remember me, do you?"

"Should I remember?"

"Millicent." After a beat and receiving no answer from Pansy the woman, Millicent, went on. "Millicent Bulstrode from Hogwarts."

Pansy allowed herself a moment of relief. It was just one of her old friends from Hogwarts. She hadn't heard from Millicent since after the war ended. But this was strange. Having Millicent call her out of the blue like this.

"It's nice to hear from you, Millicent," Pansy said, the temptation to ask why the sudden need to call tried to force its way out of her. "How have you been?"

"I didn't really call to catch up, Pans," Millicent said hesitantly. Pansy had never known Millicent to hesitate about anything. Plus she'd never known Millicent to sound as sorrowful as she was sounding now.

"Then why did you call?" Pansy asked, forgetting her manners and allowing the temptation to find out what was going on flow freely. "Is something wrong, Millie?"

"Don't call me that. I don't deserve to be called that by you. Not after what I've done to you."

Pansy felt her heart beat speed up yet again. A numb tingly feeling spreading throughout her body. She had a bad feeling she knew what Millicent was going to tell her. She'd suspected for sometime.

"I'm sure you're just being too hard on yourself," Pansy said gently. "Anything done can be forgiven, right?"

"I've been seeing Draco," Millicent said before Pansy could get another word in edgewise.

Pansy felt like she'd just been plunged into an ice cold bath without warning. Did Millicent know that she and Draco were together? She must have because she called to tell her, right?

"You obviously know that I'm seeing Draco too or else why even bother calling?"

Millicent started to go off on wild tangent of why Pansy should forgive her but Pansy wasn't hearing a word she said. An idea had popped into her head as though by magic. An idea that would get them both even with Draco Malfoy and maybe more.

"Millicent," she interrupted the brown-haired girl's tirade mid-sentence, "I think I've got a beyond genius way of getting even with one Draco Malfoy."

"What is it?"

Pansy whispered her plan to Millicent as Draco walked into the room to grab his own phone. Pansy smiled as she saw Draco do a double take and high tail it to the door as soon as he saw her on the phone.

"Where do you want to meet?" she said out loud.

"I guess Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shoppe," Millicent said. "Do you think that Draco will be anywhere nearby?"

Pansy knew certainly well that her soon to be ex-boyfriend would be nearby. She was under no illusions that Millicent was the only person Draco was cheating on her with. If that was the way he wanted two could play at that game.

"I know he will be," Pansy told Millicent. "Remember the plan."

After a few more minutes of catching up and pleasantries Pansy hung up the phone and walked down the stairs to the kitchen where Draco was preparing breakfast. She smiled as she dropped into a seat across from Draco's usual one.

"I made breakfast, Pans," Draco said proudly as he presented the beautiful dish of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. "I hope you like it."

"They look delicious." She ate the pancakes all the while going over her and Millicent's plan in her head.

"Do you have any plans for today while I'm at work?" Draco asked in the way of small talk as he took a sip of his coffee.

"I was going to go to Hogsmeade with a friend of mine from Hogwarts." Pansy smiled as she watched Draco practically spit out his coffee.

"I'm sure you will have a fun time with your friend."

Pansy took in Draco's face as the color ran away from it. She watched as he put the coffee mug down and stood up.

"I'd better get going to work, then," he said, grabbing his work bag and heading out the door. "Have a wonderful time."

"Oh, I will," Pansy said as she dialed the number that Millicent had called her from. When Millicent picked up Pansy said only two words. "It's time."

* * *

Pansy watched the brown-haired witch across from her as she nervously drank her cup of tea. She'd never actually seen Millicent this nervous before and it was strange to see it now. She was about to ask Millicent about it when the door opened. The tinkling of the bell sounding for another new customer.

Looking up she saw that the new customer was Draco and that he wasn't alone either. He was in the company of someone else. The dark haired, green-eyed man who'd gotten her led out of the Great Hall before the Battle of Hogwarts.

"Is that Harry Potter, he's with?" Millicent asked in shocked outrage.

"You know what he's not worth it," Pansy said realizing that what she really wanted wasn't to get even with Draco. A new temptation had taken the old one's place. As she looked over at Millicent she knew what she had to do.

"What do you…"

Pansy reached over and pulled Millicent into a lip bruising kiss. A tingly feeling going through her body as she felt Millicent return the kiss.

"You're right," Millicent said as she laced her finger through Pansy and led her towards the door. "Let's make this a real first date, shall we?"

Pansy nodded and allowed her new girlfriend to lead her into the unknown. Who knew giving into temptation could be this good?

**I hope you all enjoyed Temptation. **


	5. Coffee and a Surprise

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Wandlore: Wand Cores assignment, Insane Prompt List, Hogwarts Bingo Party, Meet Cute Marathon, Mario Day, Crazy Cone Contraptions, and Wacky Wandmakers on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Wandlore: Wand Cores assignment: Task 2 - Write about someone with a hidden talent. **

**Insane Prompt List: 343. (character) Katie Bell**

**Hogwarts Bingo Party: G5 Found Family**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 4 - A had a rough day and ended up crashing at a friend's house overnight. The next morning, a groggy A gets up and finds his/her way to the kitchen to make about seven hundred cups of coffee. Instead, A finds B, the friend's new roommate, cooking with significantly less clothes than expected. He-_llo_. late. (Katie/Marcus)**

**Mario Day: 9. (food) Strawberries**

**Crazy Cone Contraptions: Sausage Sprout Swirl (trait) burly**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Pear Wood Wand (pairing) Marcus/Katie, and Wampus cat hair core (character) Katie Bell**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 572 words.**

**Warning for fluff. Word count is 572 words. I hope you all enjoyed the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Coffee and a Surprise. **

Katie Bell woke up to the soft feel of her best friend in the entire world, Alicia Spinnet's couch underneath of her. She must have been more tired than she thought she was when she'd finished work last night at the Bing.

Sighing, she pushed a lock of her tangled brown hair out of her face and decided, no, knew she needed a cup of coffee if she was going to make it home in piece. The part of London she lived in was quite dangerous, after all.

"Maybe more like a few hundred cups of coffee," she murmured to herself as she stood up and folded the blanket she remembers Alicia holding out to her last night. "Licia, are you here?"

She shuffled her way towards the kitchen as she looked around for any sign of her friend. Then a scent caught her nose. A scent that made her mouth water and her stomach growl in hunger. Alicia must have known she'd be hungry when she woke up and was in the kitchen making breakfast for them, and her roommate.

Never having met this mysterious roommate before, Katie had no clue who it was her friend was living with. But she was soon to find out.

"Licia, you in here?" she asked, pushing the door open and walking into the kitchen. "Whatever you're cooking in her smells amazing."

"Thank you," said a definite male voice, shocking Katie greatly. "I think Alicia's still sleeping. I'll go wake her up in a few minutes when breakfast is ready."

Katie recognized the voice as soon as he started speaking which doubled her shock because she didn't think he knew how to do anything besides play Quidditch. She was just about to tell Marcus off about being in her friend's house when she turned around. Her eyes widened in shock.

Marcus Flint had grown out of his troll-like looks and had become, Merlin help her, a babe. His dark hair was cropped close to his head in the Muggle military buzz cut. His grey eyes were taking her in concern. The once burly body was now all muscle and Katie couldn't help but stare at him. But that wasn't what made this all the worse. What made it worse and more embarrassing was she was staring openly and he was in only his boxers.

"Cup of coffee?" Marcus asked, holding a cup of the hot steaming liquid out to her. "Are you alright?"

"I...I…" She took the cup of offered coffee and took a sip, moaning in ecstasy at the wonderful taste of the coffee. "This is wonderful. Did you do this yourself?"

"It's my own special blend." He leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered. "It also helps if you add a bit of hot cocoa to the mix, wouldn't you agree?"

"I...I….yeah."

Marcus must have realized why she was acting so strange because a slight blush crossed the cheeks of the usually stoic Slytherin Chaser. "Can you help me out and cut those strawberries while I go change into something less revealing?" he asked, making his way towards the door Katie had just entered through.

"Sure," she said in a daze.

Picking up the knife she began to slice the strawberries. She could hear Marcus bang on Alicia's door and tell her that breakfast was almost ready. Maybe Marcus Flint wasn't so bad after all. Maybe she'd have to get to know him better and find out if he had any other secret talents like his ability to cook.

**I hope you all enjoyed Coffee and a Surprise as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	6. Undercover Almost Busted

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Magical Law and Government: Magical Law Enforcement assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Meet Cute Marathon, Mario Day, Wacky Wandmakers, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Spring Bingo, and Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Magical Law and Government: Magical Law Enforcement assignment: Task 4 - Write a police!AU.**

**Insane Prompt List: 346. (character) Alice Longbottom**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Leap Day Loafer Price 500 words, set you fic on Leap Day (February 29th).**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 5 - A ** **is rushing down the street, hurrying towards an appointment, when A hears someone shouting from behind. It's B, calling out: "Wait! Excuse me, you – you dropped something!" A turns, realizing B is hailing him/her, and turns white as a ghost. There, in B's hand, is the one thing that A never wanted **_anyone_ to see. **Late Alice/Frank**

**Mario Day: 20. (word) reflection**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Hazel Wood Wand (restrictions) No Slytherins, and White River Monster Spine Core (character) Frank Longbottom**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Marina Del Rey (color) Plum**

**Spring Bingo: 2D (sunshine), 1,012 words**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,012 words**

**Warning for Police!AU and slight bit out of character. Word count is 1,012 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Undercover Almost Busted. **

Alice Prewett sighed as she started to write up her report of the incident that had taken place earlier in the day. She should have known that something like was going to happen to her. Her horoscope had told her to stay in bed today but she loved her job as a London police officer. She enjoyed being able to help people and solve crimes. It gave meaning to her life and something else too.

As she wrote the date on the top of her report February 29th she allowed herself to get swept up in the memory of meeting him. Mr. Right.

* * *

"Do you think I look like the type of girl they hire?" Alice asked as her friend in the department helped her tease her hair. She was assigned to go undercover at a strip bar and she as of this moment couldn't think of why she'd agreed to take the assignment.

"Hopefully," Marlene said, motioning for her to press her lips together and coat them with the lipstick she'd expertly put on. "You going to be alright, Allie?"

"I'm fine," she said more to herself than in answer to the blonde's question. She looked herself over in the mirror. Her big brown eyes stood out because of the eye shadow and mascara she was wearing. Her long caramel color locks hung around her shoulders in gentle flowing ringlets that she normally wouldn't have worn. The dress was far too revealing and made her feel like she was barely wearing anything. She didn't want to think about where she would hide her side arm or badge if this worked out as planned.

"Why did you put me in this plum monstrosity to begin with?" Alice asked as Marlene was the plum purse that went with the outfit.

"Because you have to look like you fit in," Marlene reminded her. "If you get a job with these people we will have someone on the inside and it will be easier to take them down. You are doing something wonderful for our department. Don't let you talk yourself out of this, alright?" Marlene put her hands on Alice's shoulders and gently made her take a step back to admire her work.

"Do you really think I can do this?" Alice asked, fear clear in her voice.

"I wouldn't have put the outfit on you if I didn't think you could. You've got this, Alice."

"I've got this," Alice told herself over and over again as she walked out towards the car that would drive her to the appointment.

It was on the drive over to the bar where the appointment was to be held that she got the text changing the location and time. To the strip club itself and in five minutes. Gripping the armrest as the drive made a quick U-turn she felt a thrill go through her that she wouldn't have expected when she was getting ready.

Texting back a quick reply she mentally readied herself for what to expect when she arrived at the club. Halster laughed at her mental list making but she just ignored him. Alice wanted to be prepared for any eventuality that would come up with this job or interview. She was a planner that was what she was good at.

"You're going to be late," Halster's voice broke her from her thoughts like freight train. "Better make a run for it."

Alice looked down the block towards the where the doors of the strip club were standing wide open. She turned Halster with an expression of annoyance. "You couldn't have parked any closer than this?"

"We don't want them to spot you getting out of an unmarked vehicle. Like I said, you better hurry up. You've got a minute to get down the block and to your meeting."

"Thank you," she muttered, meaning the exact opposite of what she'd just said. Opening the black door of the car, she stepped out into the bright sunlight and cold brisk air of the London street.

Heart racing, she started to job down the street as fast as she could. It wasn't that she wanted to be on time for this job interview. This wasn't her at all but it was part of the job. She checked herself over as the door came into view and went to reach for the handle of the interior door when she heard something from behind her.

"Wait!" a man's voice called out to her. The voice sounded very pleasing to her ears and she wanted to wait but she also needed to be on time for this interview. "Excuse me," he panted as she turned around to meet a pair of sweet brown eyes set in a round face framed with brown hair. You...you dropped something back there." He held something out to her in his closed palm. She could see the slight glint of something gold and black through the gaps in his fingers.

She could feel the color drain from her face as she quickly placed her hand out and carefully allowed her badge to be placed into her palm. She quickly shoved it into her purse and zipped it up.

"Thank you so much…."

"Frank," he said with a smile. "Frank Longbottom. You're supposed to be meeting with my boss in a minute."

She didn't think it was possible for her face to go any whiter than it already was. But she was pretty sure it must have because Frank was quick to reassure her that everything would be alright.

"Don't worry. It'll be our little secret." He winked at her as he lead her into the bar and over to the owner.

* * *

"You almost done with that first report, Prewett," the head Auror called over to her. "We don't want it be said that the rookie did sloppy paperwork, now do we?"

"No, sir," Alice said as she read over the words she'd written down. This wasn't the assignment she would have picked for herself but because of Frank she wouldn't change a thing.

**I hope you all enjoyed Undercover Almost Busted as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	7. Nothing Stays the Same

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Magical Law and Government: Magical Law Enforcement assignment, Insane Prompt List, Meet Cute Marathon, Mario Day, Scmander's Case, Crazy Cone Contraptions, Wacky Wandmakers, Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk, and I Dare You with Angel on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Magical Law and Government: Magical Law Enforcement assignment: Task 3 - Write about a court trial**

**Insane Prompt List: 395. (romantic pairing) Ginny/Romilda**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 7 - A keeps mentally repeating the line: _It's going to be okay. Nothing's changed._ But after A's parent was sentenced for prison, it's hard to understand what exactly will be different. As A is waiting in the courthouse for a chance to talk to his/her parent before being transferred, A notices that B, sitting on the adjacent bench, is quietly sobbing. Sympathetically, A says, "Looks like you're having a worse day than me." On time. **

**Mario Day: 21. (emotion) guilty**

**Scmander's Case: 19. (action) crying**

**Crazy Cone Contraptions: Baked Bean Bite (color) auburn**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Tamarack Wood Wand (genre) crime, and Phoenix feather core (theme) regret**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Mele (theme) redemption**

**I Dare You with Angel: A story inspired from a single line from a song. (Must specify the song line.) 'Nothing stays the same' from In My Veins by Andrew Belle**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,064 words**

**Warning for Muggle!AU, and mentions of character death. Word count is 1,064 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Nothing Stays the Same. **

_It's going to be okay, _Romilda thought as she sat in the courtroom and listened as round after round of accusations flew at her father. _Nothings changed. _Which had become her mantra over the course of the nine months this trial had been taking place.

"Your Honor, I would like to request a short recess to discuss the plea bargain with my client, please," her father's attorney said. The pale faced, auburn-haired woman looked as drawn and tired as Romilda felt. If she was, she certainly didn't show it. Then again she probably couldn't afford to show it. That wouldn't give your client a very hopeful outlook on their situation, now would it?

"Granted," the silver-haired judge said, banging his gavel. "This court will be at recess for an hour." The judge banged his gavel again and then left the bench.

Romilda watched as the judge walked towards the doorway she knew was somewhere off to the left behind the judge's bench. She'd watched the judge leave the courtroom this way many times during the long months. She'd even once tried to follow him and explain how ridiculous these charges against her father were.

"Milda," her father called out to her, motioning her over to were he and his lawyer were talking, "I want you to be a part of this discussion too."

_It's going to be okay, _she internally reminded herself as she walked over to her father and hugged him. _Nothings changed. It's going to be okay. Nothings changed. It's going to be okay. Nothings changed._

"The district attorney's office is offering us 40 years to life with the hope of parole for good behavior," the auburn-haired woman told her father. "I don't think this is an unreasonable offer, considering what you're being charged with."

"What happens to Romilda if I go away?" her father asked, sending Romilda into another mental fit of her mantra. "Who takes care of my little girl when I'm not there? Her mother isn't in the picture any more and…"

"You're daughter is over the age of eighteen," the lawyer said, not unkindly but a bit harshly. "She's considered a grown adult by the law."

Romilda felt ice flow through her veins. She was going to be left alone with no one to take care of her or help her take care of the day to day stuff life brought up. Her eyes widened in fear as she repeated her mantra over and over in her head. _It's going to be okay. Nothings changed. _But she couldn't help but wonder why life was so cruel and vicious all of a sudden.

"What do you think, Milda?" her father's voice cut off the mantra mid-sentence. "Do you think I should take the offer or do you think I should fight this?"

"If your father fights this he could be going away for life without hope of parole," the lawyer told her, probably thinking she was being helpful.

All Romilda really wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry until she couldn't cry any more but then she saw her father's waiting face. He was looking to her to figure out what to do about this. This all felt so wrong. She should be the one looking to him for help and not the other way around.

"I think that you should take the offer, father," Romilda said, quietly. She didn't want to see her father go away but she also didn't want to risk him going away for much longer than he had to. "What's the worse that could happen?"

When the court returned from recess she found out what the worse thing was that could happen. As the judge sat behind his bench and started the trial back up, she knew that this wasn't going to go the way she wanted it to go. She could feel in her bones.

_It's going to be okay. Nothings changed._

"Your honor, my client would like to take the plea bargain the district attorney has offered," her father's lawyer said.

"You are doing this freely of your volition?" the judge asked her father in a bark like voice that frightened Romilda more than anything.

"I am, sir," her father said simply.

"Then this court sentences you to 40 years to life with the hope of parole with good behavior," the judge said. "Court dismissed."

* * *

She'd been too numb to move when they'd taken her father away but her father's lawyer had said that if she waited outside the courtroom she could say a few last things to him before he was sent away.

_It's going to be okay. Nothings changed. It's going to be okay. Nothings…_

She could hear the soft sounds of someone crying coming from somewhere nearby. Romilda lifted her head and looked around to find the source of the noise. Which she soon did.

Sitting across from her on the bench adjacent to her she could see the redhead she'd noticed always sitting at the back of the courtroom. The girl's usually calm face was a mask of pain and sorrow as she looked up at Romilda.

"I'm sorry," she said gently. "I didn't mean to be so loud and disturb your thoughts."

"It's alright, Ginny, right?" Romilda asked, realizing she knew this girl from Hogwarts. She was a friend of Harry Potter's.

Ginny nodded.

Romilda walked over and gave Ginny one of her handkerchiefs. "Looks like you're having a worse day than me," she said with a small smile that she didn't even feel.

"I guess," Ginny sniffled, wiping her eyes with the blue embroidered handkerchief Romilda had given her.

"Ginny, come on," her older brother Ron said, glaring at Romilda.

It was then that Romilda remembered what her father was charged with. It was then that she realized that she was the daughter of the murderer of Harry Potter in everyone's mind. She watched sadly as Ginny walked off after her brother.

"Romilda," her father's voice sounded from next to her as she was pulled into a hug, "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

She wanted to cling to her mantra. She wanted to cling to her father. She wanted to cling to anything would keep her sane but she couldn't. All she could do was try to make right the wrongs people thought her family had done. And she'd start with Ginny Weasley.

**I hope you all enjoyed Nothing Stays the Same as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	8. My Umbrella

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment, Insane Prompt List, Meet Cute Marathon, and Wacky Wandmakers on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment: Task 10 - Write a fic including a minimum of 2 flashbacks **

**Insane Prompt List: 411. (romantic pairing) Charlie/Theo**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 8 ****Fighting over the last umbrella in a convenience store during a thunderstorm. Late**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Aspen Wood Wand (trait) dramatic, and Phoenix Tail Core (character) Arthur Weasley**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,571 words.**

**Warning for extreme fluff. Word count is 1,571 words. I hope you all enjoyed the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings My Umbrella. **

A crack of thunder sounded outside the expansive window of the convenience store as the grey sky opened up and the rain came pouring down. The pitter patter of it hitting the window making Charlie internally curse his bad luck.

He'd only come out to buy a thing of batteries for one his father's Muggle items. A flashlight, his father had called it. He had no intentions of getting caught up in this horrible weather. None at all.

In fact the memory of his mother reminding him about the weather was still fresh in his mind as saw the canopy of the stand that usually held umbrellas. He allowed the memory to wash over him as he slowly made his way over to the stand.

* * *

"_Charlie," his father called, waving him over excitedly as he held something behind his back. "Charlie, I need you to go out and get something for me from the nearby store."_

_Charlie knew he'd regret asking but he had to know. His father could want him to get any number of things from this store. Most he didn't even know what they probably looked like. It was a Muggle store after all. _

"_What do you need me to get, dad?" he asked, trying to keep his mind bringing up images of the more stranger thing his father could ask for. Praying internally that it wasn't one of them he watched his father bring the object from behind his back. _

"_I need batteries for my Muggle flashlight," Arthur said as he proudly showed off his red cased flashlight. "The Muggles use it during storms, Harry and Hermione say. The weather report in the Prophet says a huge storm is coming our way."_

"_The Prophet hasn't gotten it right yet," Charlie stated matter of factly. _

"_But what if they do? We want to be very well prepared, don't we?"_

_Charlie sighed and nodded. _

"_Then it's settled."_

_Charlie knew better than to argue with his father when he was in this obstinate state of mind. Taking the used batteries in his hand he walked towards the door. His hand was on the knob to open it when his mother came bustling out of the kitchen._

"_Are you going somewhere?" Molly asked. "Haven't you heard about the huge storm that's heading our way?"_

"_Dad, told me," Charlie stated. _

"_Better take your jacket, dear. The sky's starting to get a bit dark." She pointed out the window. The sky was still pretty blue but the clouds looked like they were rushing in. "It might start to rain sooner than they predicted."_

"_I'll only be gone for a minute," Charlie said, deciding against putting on his warm jacket with the huge hood that would protect and keep him warm. "I'll be home before it rains."_

* * *

He was standing in front of the stand for umbrellas that were usually stocked to the brim on a nice spring day like this had been. Now it looked like an everything must go sale had just been held. The only umbrella within sight of the stand was neon pink one that normally Charlie wouldn't give a second glance at. But as another crack of thunder went off and the sound of rain fell harder he found himself not really caring.

He reached out his hand to grab the umbrella by the handle, only to end up feeling another person's skin instead of plastic. He looked up to find a younger man standing across from him. The blond-haired blue-eyed man looked old enough to be his younger brother.

"That's mine," the younger man said, moving again to grab at the umbrella.

**Theo's POV**

Theo could hear the heavy pounding of rain on the roof of the small convenience store he liked to shop at. He hadn't expected it rain, at least not this early. He was one of those people who took the Daily Prophet at its word.

"Should have listened to you after, Mum," he muttered to himself as he raced towards the place he knew held the umbrella stand.

He could hear his mother's voice in the back of his head, as though she was standing there chiding him for his lack of sight. His father somewhere off behind them laughing softly. He could hear it so clearly like he was living the memory over again.

* * *

_Theo opened the box of his favorite breakfast cereal only to find the box empty. The only person he knew did that was his father. He couldn't understand why the man would put an empty box back in the cupboard. It didn't make any sense. _

"_Mum," he called as he pulled on a light hoodie, "I'm going to the store to pick up more cereal. Do you need anything while I'm there?"_

"_No, dear," she called back. "But do take an umbrella. The Prophet's calling for rain again later on today. You know they are pretty spot on about this sort of stuff."_

"_I'll be back before the rain starts," he told his mother reassuringly. "Don't worry."_

* * *

"No," the older red-haired man said forcefully. "It's mine. I saw it first."

"Correction, my friend, I saw it first. I was reaching for it before you even tried to reach for it. In fact I saw it here yesterday and wanted to buy it then. I just didn't have enough money." It was a lie but Theo didn't the other man would catch him in it.

"Bull," the man exclaimed, pointing towards the umbrella. "It's bright pink and is made for a girl."

"Then why would you want it?"

"Why would you?"

"It's bloody raining out! That's why!"

The red-haired man seemed to deflate at this point. He looked towards the dark grey skies which had now opened up in their full might. Another roar of thunder sounded off. The pounding of rain increased dramatically.

"What?" asked Theo.

"I just thought of something."

"What?"

"Do you have much to carry?" the man asked.

Theo shook his head and held up his box of cereal. The only thing he'd come to the store on such a horrible rainy day like this for. "This is the only thing I came for. Besides that umbrella which I'm going to get."

"Just hear me out, alright…."

"Theo," Theo supplied the man with his name warily.

"Theo, I'm Charlie. It's nice to meet you." He held out the hand that wasn't holding his father's batteries in it for Theo to shake.

Theo watched the man's hands warily. This could easily be a trick to get him to release his grip on the umbrella.

"Nice to meet you too. What's your idea?" Theo didn't mean to sound so rude but he really didn't want to lose out on that umbrella.

"You don't have a lot to carry and I don't have a lot to carry." When Theo nodded, Charlie continued with his plan. "I was thinking one of us could buy the umbrella and we could both walk home together with it."

Theo thought for a moment. His father had been a hunted Death Eater ever since the Second War with Voldemort had ended. His father was at home and would be waiting there for Theo to return. He couldn't afford for this man to find his father there and call the Aurors.

"I don't know," Theo said hesitantly.

"I'm not saying that we'd go into each other's houses or anything. I'm just saying one of us would walk the other to their front door and then continue on to their house. Alright?"

Theo nodded as he moved to shake Charlie's hand.

* * *

**Charlie's POV:**

Charlie felt his smile still stretching across his face and the pressure of Theo's lips against his own. His rain soaked hair sticking to his back he made his way towards his father with the batteries.

"Charlie Weasley," his mother chided him, "you are soaking wet. Go upstairs right now and change before you catch your death of cold." She pointed towards the stairs. "Your father can wait for his batteries a few minutes more."

As Charlie thundered up the stairs to his room the walk home from the store played over in his mind. The light banter and conversation had made him feel like he'd known Theo all his life. But when they'd reached Theo's door, he'd gotten the shock of a lifetime.

* * *

"_This is me," Theo said, pointing to a once beautiful mansion that looked sort of run down from where Charlie was standing. "Thank you for...um... the umbrella and everything."_

_Charlie watched as the boy seemed to fidget nervously. He wondered what was going now that hadn't been during the entire walk home. Theo had basically told Charlie almost everything about him. _

"_You're welcome," Charlie told him. _

"_I'd like to get to know you better," Theo burst out. "Maybe go on an actual date with you, if you'd like that?"_

_Charlie smiled. "I'd love that."_

"_Then meet me at our umbrella stand at six thirty on Friday night," Theo said, going up on his tip toes and pressing a kiss to Charlie's lips. _

_Before Charlie could say anything else Theo was gone the door banging closed behind and the locks sliding into place. _

* * *

Another loud crash of thunder and the now softer pitter patter of rain told Charlie that the storm was passing. Now Charlie just had to get around to planning the perfect date to take Theo on.

**I hope you you all enjoyed My Umbrella as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	9. Muffin for a Date

**Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by Ritual and Ceremonial Magic: Handfasting assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Challenge, Pairing the Character, Meet Cute Marathon, Crazy Cone Contraptions, Wacky Wandmakers, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker, and Spring Bingo on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Ritual and Ceremonial Magic: Handfasting assignment: Task 3 - Write about a ritual. **

**Insane Prompt List: 367. (character) Barty Crouch Jr. **

**Ultimate Battle Challenge: Accessory Set Price 600 words, (word) colorful **

**Pairing the Character: Kingsley/Barty Crouch Jr. **

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 9 - Every morning you walk into my bakery and inhale deeply then walk back out seriously just buy something already.**

**Crazy Cone Contraptions: Honey Ham (setting) Hogsmeade**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Black Walnut Wood Wand (word) allure, and Kneazle whiskers core (trait) grumpy**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: 24. (personality) moody**

**Link Maker: meet cutes, 823 words**

**Spring Bingo: 4D (purple), 823 words**

**Warning for hints at mental abuse. Word count is 823 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of the Cutest Meetings Muffin for a Date. **

Barty Crouch Jr. had a ritual he liked to do on a daily basis. He'd wander into Hogsmeade at the same time like clockwork. At eight in the morning on the dot. He'd then go for his breakfast at the Three Broomsticks. Always the same breakfast. Eggs over easy, with plain white toast, and orange juice. It was what his mother made for him when he was a boy. How could it be wrong? Then he would wander around for a bit. Never entering any of the stores.

That is until Barty found this store with the most alluring smell coming from inside. It was a small bakery and the front window display only added to the allure of the store.

"This isn't part of our ritual," a little voice in the back of his head that sounded like his father barked. "Just keep walking."

But the scent coming from the open door of the bakery made his mouth water and his stomach growl. Maybe one little peek inside wouldn't hurt?

Walking into the brightly lit store he found himself taking in the whole store. The bright purples and blues of the walls and chairs. The open windows allow the sunlight in and the wonderful smells out. It was then that he saw him.

Him being the owner of the store. His name badge read Kingsley and Barty found this a very fitting name for the man. He looked like he could be a king. The dark skinned man stood behind the counter talking to the man in front of it. Dark brown eyes intent on the conversation at hand. Barty wanted to go up and talk to the man and have that sort of attention showered on him but the voice returned.

"No one it their right mind would care what you wanted."

Barty sighed and took one last breath of the sweet scented air and then walked out of the store. He knew the voice was right. No one ever seemed to want or care about him. Only his mother and that was probably because of just that. She was his mother.

Over the next few weeks his ritual had changed. Everyday like clockwork now before he would go on to his breakfast and afterwards he'd stop by Kingsley's Bakery. He wouldn't buy anything which seemed to annoy Kingsley more than anything. He'd just duck into the store, take a quick breath of the alluring colorful pastries and then duck back.

The season changed from winter to spring to summer and then back again. Each day bringing the mouthwatering scent of the bakery with it. Each day the pastries and doughnuts, and cakes kept calling his name. The colors and garnishes and decorations each more beautiful than the last.

It was on his next visit during a blustery fall day when Kingsley had finally had enough. Barty could tell he'd had enough and he couldn't blame the man one bit. To have someone come into your store on a daily basis and yet buy nothing. It had to be frustrating.

Taking his usual deep breath to suck in the sweet scents of danish and coffee cake, which were the specialties of the day, he looked around him. He was just about to turn to go out the door when Kingsley walked over to him.

Barty had never realized how tall Kingsley was before. The dark skinned man towered over him making Barty feel smaller than he was. The gentle dark brown eyes looked at Barty in confusion. Then Kingsley spoke, a voice Barty assumed was what an angel would sound coming from him.

"Are you going to buy something or not?" Kingsley asked.

"Excuse me?" Barty asked in confusion. He hated being caught like this. He'd only come in to take a quick breath and then duck back out with no fuss or muss.

"You've come in here ever since the second day we've been open. You don't buy anything. You just stand there and sniff the air and the leave. What gives?"

Barty wracked his mind for any reason for his being there and not buying anything that he could give Kingsley. He just couldn't come up with anything.

"You're not leaving until you either give me a reason for buying nothing, or you buy something," Kingsley said, folding his arms over his chest in an authoritative motion.

"I'll tell you what," Barty said in his best negotiating voice. "I'll buy something from you if you go out on a date with me. What do you say?" He smiled a crocked smile and looked up at the handsome man in front of him.

"Fine," Kingsley answered after sputtering a couple of minutes. "What will you be buying today, sir?"

He ended up buying a blueberry muffin in the end. As he walked down the street bag clutched in his hand Barty couldn't wait for Friday and his date with Kingsley.

**I hope you all enjoyed Muffin for a Date as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	10. Hostage

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Defense Against the Dark Arts: Immortality Rituals assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Meet Cute Marathon, Mario Day, Crazy Cone Contraptions, Wacky Wandmakers, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts: Immortality Rituals assignment: Task 1 - Write about wishing to live longer or be immortal. **

**Insane Prompt List: 376. (romantic pairing) Alice/Bellatrix**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Cursed Wing Price 1,000 words, a murder**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 10 - I just committed a crime and I need to use you as a hostage. I am so sorry! (Late)**

**Mario Day: 26. (action) yelling**

**Crazy Cone Contraption: Tart Tomato Twist (dialogue) "Pick me! Choose. Me."**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Rowan Wood Wand (pairing) Alice/Bellatrix, and Horned Serpent Horn Core (character) Bellatrix**

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**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 2,296 words**

**Warning for mentions of attempted robbery, and character death. Word count is 2,296 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Hostage. **

The day had started off quietly for Alice Prewett and her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom. They'd gotten to the store they'd bought together at the same time as they usually did. They always enjoyed opening the store together. It was one of their favorite times of day.

The usual customers began to trickle in as the dawn started to disperse and the morning began in earnest. Mrs. O'Leary, along with her five year old daughter Kathrine were one of Alice's favorite customers.

Katherine always smiled up at her and asked how she was. This morning was no different. The young girl had skipped immediately over to Frankie and Allie as she called them. She pulled at Alice's shirt sleeve.

"Hi, Allie," she said, waving shyly at Alice. "Hi, Frankie. How are you today?"

"We're quite fine, Katherine," Frank answered, as a woman in a long dark coat with sunglasses entered the store. "How is our most favorite customer today?"

"I went to the dentist," Katherine said, launching into a story about the dentist and how she had two cavities that had to be filled. How she had been very brave and allowed the dentist to do his work.

All the while Alice kept her attention on both Katherine's story and the strange woman in the dark coat. She'd never seen this woman in their store before and it was the middle of July so wearing a coat was just plain strange.

"Katherine," Frank interrupted as the little girl was about to launch into a story about her pet goldfish, "I believe you've been very brave and if you'll give me a minute I'm going to fetch you a special surprise for you bravery, alright?"

Katherine nodded excitedly.

Alice made eye contact with Frank as he walked away from them. She could have sworn she saw him mouth call the cops. She just didn't understand what was happening that the cops needed to be called.

Mrs. O'Leary was looking over the books to send an out of country purchase to a friend when things really got bad. The sound of a gun shot being fired sounded in the small store. People were screaming and running from the direction that Frank had just disappeared to. Then a few minutes later the woman with the dark coat walked out from between the alise of children's books and beauty supplies. Her coat was gone but Alice knew it was the same woman. The curly raven locks and pale complection gave her away.

"Nobody move," the voice that came from the woman was deadly and gorgeous at the same time. "You," she pointed at Alice, "go and lock the door. Then come right back and no one had better think of playing hero or you'll pay the price. Just like the other one."

Alice felt her heart pounding out of her chest. She knew that the woman was talking about Frank. She didn't have to see what happened, she just knew. Frank wouldn't have let her get away with doing whatever this woman was doing.

She raced over to the door and flipped the sign that said open to say closed. Quickly locking door afterwards. She pulled the shades down over the window. She knew that someone would know that was a call for help. She and Frank never drew the shades down when the store was open. Never.

"Where is she?" Alice could hear the woman snap at someone.

"S...She's doing what you asked, Miss," said Mrs. O'Leary shaking voice. "Please don't hurt my Katherine."

Alice hurried back over hearing the fear in Mrs. O'Leary's quavering voice. She knew that this woman, whoever she was, that had taken them hostage would follow through on her threat of violence if she didn't.

"There you are," snapped the woman. "What took you so long?"

"I was just locking the door and flipping the closed sign…"

"Stop lying. Did you signal to someone that you were in trouble?"

"No."

Stop lying."

"I'm not lying."

"Shall we go on a little trip to the other side of the store and you can see what happens to you if you keep lying to me?"

Alice shook her head.

"Then I'll ask you again. Did you signal to someone that you were in trouble?"

Alice shook her head again.

"Fine. Rejoin the others and I will be finished her in a matter of minutes."

Alice rejoined Katherine and Mrs. O'Leary and the rest of the terrified group of customers all sitting on the floor near the register. Alice couldn't help but feel the same fear they were feeling too. This woman who was holding them hostage didn't seem entirely stable of mind, and she must have done something to Frank. She'd mentioned doing something Frank. Alice watched the gun and couldn't help thinking that if she was go on from this life that wouldn't be fair.

The sound of police sirens pierced the air outside of the store and the red and blue light flashes cut through the blinds as though they were sheers. The sounds of car doors opening and closing came from outside. Then the phone started to ring.

Their captor looked at Alice and then nodded towards the phone. "Pick it up," she snapped, "and no funny business."

Alice picked up the phone and tried for her best cheery voice she could muster under the circumstances. "Hello, Alice Prewett of The Apple Core," she said, faking the happiness in her voice. "How can I help you?"

"Miss Prewett, we heard that you might be in a bit of trouble…"

Alice didn't hear the rest of the statement because the phone was yanked out of her hand by the woman with the raven hair and piercing black eyes that seemed to look into her soul. The woman glared towards the door.

"What do you want?" she sneered at the police officer on the phone.

"Who is this?" Alice could hear the voice ask over the phone. The concern held in that voice was making things even worse. She knew that if the police were concerned then something bad had or was going to happen. "Who are we talking?"

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you my name?" the woman asked, sounding incredulous. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

"Let's just calm down here, Miss. No one thinks you are stupid. We just want…"

"You can call me B and that is all you'll get for my name."

"That's a start, B. Is there any way we can get you to release the people in that store and come with us willingly?"

"Is there anyway you can stop being an imbecile?"

Miss. B, we would very much like to keep the casualties as limited as possible. Are you sure you aren't willing to let anyone go?"

B as the angry raven-haired woman asked to be called slammed the phone down. Cursing she turned towards Alice raising the gun.

"You signaled the police," she yelled pointing the gun with a trembling hand towards Alice. "You singaled them somehow."

"B," Alice said slowly, "you don't want to go to jail for long, do you?"

The woman shook her head. Flyaway curls bouncing every which way. Dark eyes glinting with both rage and fear.

"They'd go easier on you if you let these people go," Alice pointed out. "They'd take that into consideration at your sentencing."

That was obviously the wrong thing to say because that just made B more angry and unstable. Angry and unstable people were not the best at being reliable. Or for that matter for being good listeners.

"I'm not going to jail," B shouted. "I'm going to go free."

"You won't be going anywhere if they decide that you're a threat to us. They probably already have called SWAT and have them standing by."

"Allie," whimpered Katherine, "I'm scared."

"Would you think about letting at least Mrs. O'Leary and little Katherine go?" Alice asked, pointing towards the mother/daughter duo. She would try to get as many of these customers out of harm's way as possible.

"Why should…"

"It would go a long way into making you look with the mothers of young children portion of any jury. You spared a mother and her child and they won't forget that."

B thought about it for a second. The dark eyes looking deep in thought as she pondered what Alice had just told her, for which Alice was thankful. She must have come to the conclusion that Alice wanted her to because she nodded.

"Let them out then," B snapped, "and then come right back after locking the door. Do you hear me? If you don't one these others will pay the price for it."

Alice watched as the Mrs. O'Leary helped little Katherine off the ground. She glanced over at the two teenage employees, who were the only ones not fortunate enough to get out of the store fast enough.

"Go," snapped B, pointing the gun at Alice.

Alice moved quickly, leading Mrs. O'Leary and Katherine to the front door of the store. She quickly unlocked the door and opened it. The bright sunlight blocked her view for a second but as it clear she could the roads blocked. The police cars and newstrucks surrounding the area. People were standing around behind the police tape and watching in both fear and amazement at what was happening. Alice wished she was one of the spectators and not one the captives. This was one of the most scary things she'd ever been involved with and Frank had gotten them involved in a lot of scary things in his time.

"Come on, Miss," one the police called out to her, holding out a hand for her to take.

Shaking her head and sending her caramel colored locks flying. She moved back into the store after Mrs. O'Leary and Katherine were safely with the police. She quickly closed and locked the door before going back to were B waited.

"What took you so long?" asked B, her voice sounding like she didn't plan for this to go wrong in any way.

"I just wanted to make sure that Mrs. O'Leary and Katherine got to safety before coming back here," Alice said.

"And did they?"

Alice nodded. "No one will forget this. But…" She stopped as though she was thinking about something. She knew that B wasn't the type of person who was patient. She could see the impatience growing on the other woman's face by the minute.

"But what?"

"Maybe you could allow these two to go and fetch the person you injured and you could release them too?"

B chuckled darkly. "No one was injured," she said, confirming Alice's worst fear.

"Then just let the two of them go. You can choose to be what they know you to be or you can pick me and keep me as your hostage."

"What?"

"You heard me. Pick me! Choose. Me." She pointed at herself. "Let them go. They have families that care about them."

B sighed, seeing that Alice wasn't going to stop talking until she listened. "Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "Sappy sentimentalist." She turned to the two teenagers cowering next to Alice. "You can find your way of the store without her help, I'm sure?"

Both boys shared a frightened look and then looked over at Alice. Alice nodded and they went scampering towards the door with a quick 'see you tomorrow, Miss Prewet.'. Alice watched until they were out of sight.

"Now there are two," B said, pointing the gun at Alice as she walked over to the caramel-haired woman. She put her arm around Alice holding the gun to her temple. "I'm sure there is a back way out of here, isn't there?"

Alice felt ice run down her back at the pressure of the gun ot her temple. She didn't want to die. She figured that they would stay here and she could talk this B down from the ledge and make her see reason. But that seemed almost a lost cause now. Alice felt tears leak from her eyes as she nodded in answer to the question.

"Let's go," B said, motioning for her to lead the way.

Alice moved towards the back of the shop were the rear exit was. She could see the spot where Frank's body still lay unmoving. She didn't want to join him. She should be about to join him in death. She just couldn't think about that right now. She needed more time. She wasn't sure what she wanted to happen in the space of the more time but she was sure she needed it.

"Why are you stalling?" B asked, concern in her voice.

"I would like to know the name of the person holding me hostage. So I can pray for them."

B looked at her like she'd grown an extra head. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Because you seem to need. That's the only way to explain why you were so desperate to get whatever you took from me."

B stuttered for a moment unsure of what to say. Then she sighed and answered the question. "Bellatrix," she said. "Bellatrix Black."

The next few seconds happened like a flash. The back exit's door flew open and Bellatrix must have accidentally squeezed the trigger of the gun because it went off. The sound was as deafening as the wound was painful. Alice felt herself being pushed away from Bellatrix and the sounds of handcuffs closing around Bellatrix's wrists.

Maybe one of these days she'll get Bellatrix to tell her why she chose her store that day. But for right now she's just happy it's over and done with.

**I hope you all enjoyed Hostage. **


	11. Saving Penny

**Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by Demonology: Asmodeus assignment, Insane Prompt List, Hogwarts Bingo Party, and Meet Cute Marathon on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Demonology: Asmodeus assignment: Task 1 - Write about lusting after someone/something. **

**Insane Prompt List: 423. Audrey/Penelope**

**Hogwarts Bingo Party: Audrey/Penelope/Hermione**

**Meet Cute Marahton: You probably don't remember but you saved me from some bullies once in middle school and god damn it every year you just get hotter.**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,100 words**

**Warning for bullying and slight bit out of character. Word count is 1,100 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Saving Penny. **

"I remember the first time we met," Penelope told Audrey, as they and Hermione Granger shared a quiet evening at home. "I remember it like it was yesterday."

"You do?" Audrey asked her, a wicked smile crossing her face. "Remind me, please. I think I've forgotten."

Penelope folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at one of the women she loved more than anything in this life. "Is that so?"

Before they could get into an argument the other spoke up quickly, anticipating the fight. "I think I might want to hear this story too," Hermione spoke, brown eyes pleading with Penelope to tell the story.

"Fine," Penelope sighed, brushing a lock of her curly blonde hair behind her ears. "It all started in middle school."

* * *

"Whoa, Nelly," one of the mean girls in Penelope's seventh grade class, Arya called nickering at her like a horse as she crashed into Penelope sending her books flying. "Watch were you're going."

"But…"

"But what? You just slammed into me."

Penelope wanted to argue that it was auburn-haired girl that had just slammed into her but she knew that would only make matters worse. She didn't want to spend any more time in Arya Snark's presence than she had to.

"I'm sorry, Arya," she said, going to regather books.

"Here, let me help you with that," Arya said, surprising mostly everyone in the hall including Penelope herself. She walked over to the last of Penelope's books pretending like she was going to bend down and pick it up when she kicked it down the stairs instead. "Whoops! Sorry!" She shrugged and then walked off.

People nearby started to snicker and someone else bumped into Penelope sending her books flying yet again. Fighting the tears that were stinging her eyes, Penelope started to regather her books yet again.

"I don't see anything funny, do you?" a voice that sounded sent straight from heaven asked.

Penelope chanced a look up at her savoir while reaching for a book that had fallen under an open locker door. The girl kneeling nearby, picking up Penelope's history book, was a stunner in Penny's eyes. Her auburn hair, and grey-green eyes were shining in fury as she glared at the people standing around.

"Here you are," the auburn-haired angel said, holding out the books she'd gathered. "Are you alright?"

Penny blinked feeling the unshed tears start to rescind a bit. She nodded and took her books holding them close to her chest. As though the books themselves could form a sort of protective shield from the cruelty of her peers.

"I'm fine," she lied, not understanding why this girl was helping her.

"Well, fine, I'm Audrey," the girl said sticking out her hand in a friendly manner, catching Penny off guard. "This is the part where you tell me your name," Audrey jokes.

"I'm Penelope."

From that day on Audrey and Penelope had become fast friends. Penelope couldn't believe that she had so much in common with this beautiful girl. They both enjoyed reading a good story. They both had pretty good memories and enjoyed playing those memory game puzzles.

But there was one way that Penelope was different from Audrey. One very big way. As the years went by Penny felt herself slowly finding Audrey more and more attractive. She couldn't help herself. It was bad by the time they reached high school. Penny try as hard as she might could not stop thinking about Audrey.

The things she'd think were what she didn't understand the most. She had been taught that she should marry a nice young man and have a bunch of children. But when she thought about her future it was always Audrey standing there with her. Her kissing Audrey's lips. Her holding Audrey tight at night. Her doing other things she'd only done with her ex-boyfriend Percy Weasley, with Audrey.

"What are you thinking about?" Audrey asked her as they leaned against each other in Penny's family's home entertainment room. Audrey's grey-green eyes gleamed with curiosity as she watched Penny.

Penny, however, wanted to melt into the floor. She'd been caught more than likely staring and that was what brought on the question.

"Just thinking about things."

"Like what?"

_Like kissing you senseless and more some,_ Penelope thought a dark blush coloring her cheeks as she turned back to movie on the tv screen.

"Penny, we're best friends. You can tell me anything and I won't judge you."

"Are you sure?"

Audrey nodded enthusiastically. "Cross my heart. Hope to die. Stick a needle in my eye." She giggled when she finished the saying.

"You promise you won't get mad or judge me?"

This stopped the giggling right away. Audrey turned a concerned face towards Penelope. "Why do you think I would get mad or judge you? I've never done that before, have I?"

"No. It's just…."

"You really can tell me anything. Is Arya being mean again? I can handle her like back in middle school."

"No. She's steered clear ever since we became friends."

"That's good. But what is it that makes you think I'd be mad at you or judge you?"

Seeing no way out of this situation, Penny decided that the best answer was to tell the truth to her best friend. Taking a deep breath, she dove right in feet first.

"I've kind of had a crush on you since you helped me back in seventh grade. It didn't help that you just keep getting more beautiful by the year, you know?"

Audrey's eyes widened not in fear or disgust but in shock. "Are you kidding me?" she saked happily.

"No." Now it was Penny's turn to be shocked. "Why?"

"I've had a crush on you since the same day. I admired your spirit. The way you kept picking up your books only to have them knocked back down." She giggled. "It's one of the things I love about you."

"You love?"

Audrey nodded pulling Penny into a chaste kiss. "I do."

* * *

"It really happened like that?" Hermione asked, as she snuggled next to Penelope and Audrey. She always liked being in the middle of the cuddle puddle as they called it.

"It really did," Penelope said, stroking a bit of brown curly hair out of Hermione's eyes. "I wouldn't change a thing about that day. Would you, Audrey?"

"Nope," Audrey said. "Or, for that matter, the day we met this little beauty either?" She tickled Hermione gently.

"I love you guys," Hermione said, smiling at both Penelope and Audrey.

"We love you too," they both said.

**I hope you all enjoyed Saving Penny as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	12. Cell Block Tango

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Insane Prompt List, Meet Cute Marathon, Mario Day, Crazy Cone Contraptions, Wacky Wandmakers, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Insane Prompt List: 400. (romantic pairing) Remus/Regulus**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 12 - So... I'm your new cellmate. Which bunk is mine, or should I just share yours? (Late)**

**Mario Day: 10. (word) echo**

**Crazy Cone Contraptions: Fried Fudge (pairing of choice) Remus/? (Regulus)**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Sycamore Wood Wand (trope) bed sharing, and Rougarou Hair Core (word) tension**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Miranda (scenario) seducing someone**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 753 words.**

**Warning for a tiny bit of fluff. Word count is 753 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of the Cutest Meetings Cell Block Tango. **

_Guilty._ The word rang over and over again in Remus's head like an echo as he was led down the cell block hallway. He should have known that he was going to get caught as soon as James and Sirius had brought the plan up. He should have known that it was a stupid idea but, of course, James and Sirius said jump. He, like the fool he was, had said how high and now he was going to jail for fraud.

"Stop here," the guard said, jerking Remus to a stop by grabbing his handcuffs. Remus watched as the guard fumbled with the keys and finally getting the right one, opened the cell door in front of them. "In you go," the guard said with a little shove.

Remus stumbled into the cell, hearing the door slam shut behind and the key turning in the lock again. He was locked in here. With a sigh he gathered the items that had been in his hands from the floor. He'd dropped them when he stumbled to make sure he'd be able to stop himself from falling with his hands.

A groan was heard from somewhere nearby and Remus took this as his first opportunity to look around the room he would be staying in for fifteen to thirty years.

The room wasn't anything to write home about. Four steel colored walls, one with the door Remus had just been shoved through built into it. A toilet and toilet paper roll was near the corner of the wall. Nearby was a set of bunk beds.

On the bottom bunk was the most gorgeous man Remus had ever laid eyes on in his entire life. The long raven locks formed a pillow under the man's head and the half lidded grey eyes watched him. The muscles around the shoulders and neck of the man tensed as he continued to take in the new addition of the room.

"What's cooking good lookin?" Remus asked, with what he hoped was a seductive wink. "Looks like we're going to be roommates for a while."

"Not that I asked for a roommate," the man said, his voice a grudging sound that came from his throat.

"Doesn't matter what we ask them for in here though, does it?" Remus asked, remembering how his request for a private room had been denied. "Although, if you were to ask me for anything, I'd willingly give it to you." He wiggled his eyebrows trying to ignore how attractive this man was.

The man leaned up on his elbow and looked Remus up and down before sighing in annoyance. "You aren't going to leave me alone until I talk to you, are you?" he asked, sitting up and putting his head in his hands.

"Maybe a friendly greeting would be nice," Remus murmured, taking in every square inch of this beautiful man in front of him. He felt something he hadn't felt for anyone in a long time. Not since he'd broken up with Sirius, his last boyfriend. He was sure it was the same longing being stirred up by the man in front of him now.

"I'm not a friendly greeting type of guy," the man said angrily.

"Can I at least ask you two questions?" Remus said, smiling as the man lifted his head and grey eyes met amber ones.

"Fire away," came the exasperated sigh.

"First, I'd like to know the name of the gorgeous creature I will be sharing my cell with? Second, I'd like to know which bunk is mine or if we'll be sharing that one?" Remus licked his lips hoping and praying that the trick Sirius had taught him would work on this man.

A loud gulp came from the man sitting on the bottom bunk as he tried to look anywhere but at Remus. He seemed nervous about something but what it was Remus didn't have the foggiest idea.

"Regulus," came the quiet reply.

"Hello, Regulus," Remus said, walking over and sitting down next to the man. He put his hand on the raven haired beauties upper thigh feeling the muscles tense. "What about that answer to the second question?"

"I suppose we could share this bunk, if you want to?"

Remus smirked in victory. "I would absolutely love that, Regulus. Maybe later I'll show you just how much."

Maybe going to jail for fifteen to thirty years would be so bad after all. Not if he had Regulus here to keep him happy and warm.

**I hope you all enjoyed Cell Block Tango as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	13. Spinach for a Date

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Magical Law and Government: Magical Law Enforcement assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Meet Cute Marathon, and Wacky Wandmakers on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Magical Law and Government: Magical Law Enforcement assignment: Task 1 - Write about a confrontation. **

**Insane Prompt List: 403. (romantic pairing) Severus/Petunia**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Single Accessory Price 300 words, siblings**

**Meet Cute Marathon: The shelves are all empty and do you really need that trolley full of (item)? On Time. **

**Wacky Wandmakers: Blackthorn Wood Wand (action/plot point) arguing, and Thestral Tail Hair Core (location) Muggle London**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 964 words. **

**Warning for extreme fluff and Muggle!AU. Word count is 964 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Spinach for a Date. **

Severus searched high and low in the grocery and couldn't find hide nor hair of his favorite vegetable. Spinach. He'd been to several different stores so far and all of them were just plain out of spinach. It wasn't just for him, of course, it was also for his kindergarten class's pet rabbit. Clyde.

"Does anyone know where I can find any spinach?" he asked, not expecting an answer to his question.

"Dude," the produce employee said, motioning him over, "don't her I told you this, but that lady over there." The auburn haired girl with sparkling green eyes pointed towards the tall dark-haired lady with twice as much neck as was needed. "She came in looking for all the spinach she could get her hands on. She wiped us out, man."

"You aren't planning on getting any more today?" Severus asked in a cold tone of voice. The voice that meant business when he used it on his class. Mind you they were kindergartners and didn't really take him seriously. But he usually tried either way.

"That was today's shipment," the girl said, holding her hands up. "Only suggestion I can make is either making due with something else or going to ask if she's willing to part with some."

Severus snorted in derision. He was pretty sure he was never shopping in this store ever again. The customer was always supposed to be right, a lesson his father taught him the hard way growing up working for the family store.

But seeing as the girl had turned back to finish stocking the shelves around the spinach with other lettuces, none as good as spinach, Severus had no choice but go over and plead his case. He hoped that the woman would be much more helpful than the store's employee was.

"Excuse me," he said, schooling in his tone into one he thought was rather friendly, "I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you." He looked into her cart and found that it was indeed filled practically to the brim with the coveted spinach. He could just as easily reach into the cart and pull on out and just leave. But he'd devoted himself to go about this business in a friendly manner. So he had to at least try.

"Why would I do a favor for you?" the woman asked in a familiar voice. A voice Severus had heard before he just couldn't remember where or when. "I don't even know."

"It doesn't matter if…." He cut himself off before he could make this worse for himself than it already was. Taking a deep calming breath, he counted to ten and then thought of a better way to continue. "I'm Severus Snape, the local kindergarten teacher. My class has a pet rabbit at our school and we need spinach to feed the rabbit. I was wondering if I could take at least a bag or two to hold the poor creature over until they could get more spinach in?"

The dark haired woman bristled. "I'm planning a party for some important clientele," she informed him stiffly. "I can't afford to lose any of this spinach."

"I'm sure a bag won't be missed. You have so much here that it seems silly to not share the wealth. Especially when one rabbit is at stake. Do you have children, Miss…."

"Evans," she snapped, "and no I don't. One usually has to date in order to have the sort of romantic attachment that develops into children."

Severus wracked his brain. He'd heard the name Evans before but where had he heard it. Where had he heard it?

Then it hit him like a paint can thrown down the school stairs by his arch nemesis, James Potter. He had heard the name Evans before. His childhood best friend had a girl named Lily Evans. Her sister was called….

"Petunia Evans, is that you?" he asked, squinting at the woman's face trying to reconcile her with the girl he'd once known.

"Do I know you?"

"Severus Snape. I was your sister, Lily's childhood best friend."

"No. Severus Snape was a gangly little runt of a boy. You can't be Severus, can you?" She squinted back at him trying to get a closer look at his face. She must have recognized his features because her mask of hostility slipped a little. Not that they had been friends back in the day but they'd been friendly.

"I assure I can," he said, a smile slipping onto his usually dark features. He smiled around his old friend, Lily or his class. "I know that this is going to be a losing battle but I was really hoping that I could have some of your spinach. Please?"

"For the rabbit?"

"For the rabbit, of course." And if a portion of it happened to end up on his plate he wouldn't be upset about that either.

"I suppose that I could give up one or two bags." A slight smile crossed her face. "That is if you would be willing to go to a bar with me and catch up when I'm done with my party?"

Severus eyed the spinach and then looked up the mirth on Petunia Evans's face. He sighed and then nodded. "I suppose it's a date," he said dryly.

"Then you can meet at the pub around the corner from my childhood house seven o'clock," she said, holding out a package or two of spinach.

"I will be there with bells on."

As Severus took the two packages of spinach and walked towards the checkout line he couldn't believe what had just happened. Not only had he gotten spinach but he'd gotten a date as well. He couldn't wait to go tell Lily about this.

**I hope you all enjoyed Spinach for a Date as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	14. Lost

**Hey everyone! This story was written for Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment, Insane Prompt List, Pairing the Character, Meet Cute Marathon, To All the Characters I've Loved Before, Crazy Cone Contraptions, and Wacky Wandmakers on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment: Task 4 - Write about someone thinking/talking about a nostalgic memory. **

**Insane Prompt List: 405. (romantic pairing) Narcissa/Lily**

**Pairing the Character: Narcissa/Lily**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 14 - ****I ran away from home and knocked on the wrong door but you want to take me in anyway**

**To All the Characters I've Loved Before: Andromeda Black (relationship) sister, and (trait/characteristic) Pureblood**

**Crazy Cone Contraptions: Marvelous Marshmallow Blend (pairing) Narcissa/? (Lily)**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Pear Wood Wand (restriction) no Ravenclaws, and Thunderbird Tail Feather Core (character) Lily Evans**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 593 words.**

**Warning for fluff. Word count is 593 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Lost. **

It had been nearly sixteen years since Narcissa Black had run away from home. Sixteen years of being away from her mother, father, and sister. Sixteen years of fending for herself out on the streets.

Yet the street she lived was as familiar to her today as it had been all those years ago. She walked past the park where her, Bellatrix, and Andromeda used to play as children.

_Push me higher, Bella," _the memory of her child-like voice called to her sister. "_I want to see if I can fly."_

"_Don't be silly, Cissa," _Bellatrix's memory voice float on the air as though it were still speaking the words. "_You can't fly."_

She looked over at the park almost convinced she could see the image of her sisters and herself as little kids chasing each other around the park. Shaking her head to clear the image that probably wasn't even really there, she continued on her trek. She had to get home. She wanted to go home.

The street lamp that her and Andromeda had made home base for their daily games of tag came into view. She knew she was getting closer to where she wanted to be.

Turning the corner her old home came into view sending her heartbeat skipping. She felt a lightness come over her as she walked up to the front door. Should she knock on the door or just burst in and say surprise?

She settled for knocking on the door. She could already hear mother's disappointed voice if she went with the other option. _Good girls don't barge into other people's homes, Narcissa._

It felt like an eternity before someone answered her knock and the girl who answered wasn't one of her sister's. Maybe her parents had moved after she ran away from home all those years? Maybe losing yet another child had broken their hearts and made them leave the place they called home?

"Hello," the young redhead asked, blinking curiously at Narcissa. "Can I help you with some? Are you lost?"

For the first time since she'd decided to try and find her family, to try and return, she did feel lost. But she certainly wasn't going to admit that to some stranger. Much less some stranger who was now living in her house.

"I think I used to live here," Narcissa said. "I ran away from home sixteen years ago. I was wondering if I could possibly stay for a while or so?"

The girl's big green eyes blinked at Narcissa in concern. "I don't think that you ever lived," the girl corrected her. "I would have known if there was another girl besides Petunia living here."

Narcissa blinked in confusion. "Petunia? Who is Petunia?" She took in the kitchen that she'd been allowed into. This wasn't the kitchen she remembered fondly growing up in. The little stool where she used to stand and watch the house elves do the cooking was there. The marks for Bellatrix, Andromeda, and her own growth chart weren't here.

"This isn't the Black residence and never was, right?" Narcissa asked, feeling the happiness she'd felt minutes ago melt away.

"No," the girl said, shaking her head sadly. "But I'm sure Mum won't mind you staying until we can help find your way home."

"I'd like that. Thank you…"

"Lily. Lily Evans."

"Thank you, Lily. I'm Narcissa. Narcissa Black." Narcissa smiled as she followed Lily into the living room to meet the rest of Lily's family. She could tell that this was the start of something beautiful.

**I hope you all enjoyed Lost as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	15. Adventure Date

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Meet Cute Marathon, Wacky Wandmakers, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment: Task 2 - Write about a bad person doing something good. **

**Insane Prompt List: 391. (romantic pairing) Blaise/Theo**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Masquerade Mask Price 2,000, a first date**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 15 - I have a confession. I'm not really your blind date.**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Cypress Wood Wand (theme) hope, and Veela Hair Core (character) Blaise Zabini**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Camie (trait) Hopeless Romantic**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 2,253 words**

**Warning for mentions of cheating in the past and slight out of character. Word count is 2,253 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Adventure Date. **

Theo should have known by the off the cuffedness of the date that Blaise was not who he was supposed to be meeting up with. But he had all the right features. The dark hair and eyes, the tanned Italian complexion, the well muscled body. Plus he was carrying the red rose with him. His blind date had said he'd be carrying a red rose.

Not to mention that Blaise didn't say a word about not being the right person until now. Thoe couldn't believe it. He replayed the evenings events over in his mind like a movie reel at a Muggle cinema.

* * *

Pansy had walked with him to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with his blind date. That way if Theo didn't end up liking the guy, Pansy could walk over and make a scene. Then he'd get out of going on the date.

"You're going to be fine," Pansy assured Theo, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What's the worst that could happen? You don't like it, you just end the date and start looking again."

"Easy for you to say," Theo sighed. "You're a girl. You're supposed to be looking at good looking Pureblood men and making plans for them. What good Pureblood boy is going to bring home another boy to his mother?"

"You."

"Pansy, you're not helping."

Pansy's eyes widened as she stared over his head. A pang of fear stabbed through Theo's chest. What if it was someone they didn't? Someone with a grudge against Purebloods or Slytherins?

"I think that's him," Pansy said, mouth watering as she gawked at his date. Leave it Pansy to let you know exactly what she's thinking at a time like this. "He's got the rose and everything." She turned Theo around and pointed to the doorway of the Leaky Cauldron.

Theo felt the air go out of his lungs. Not that he didn't know that Blaise dated both girls and boy, he'd known that for some time now. He just didn't think, if Blaise had a type, that he would be said type.

Blue eyes traveled up the well toned and muscled body of his schoolhood friend. Blaise had grown very attractive in the time between graduating and now. Theo knew he spent most his time traveling back and forth between England and Italy helping his mother move house yet again. But the effects it had on his tan were more delicious than the effects Blaise's working out had on his body.

"Are you supposed to wait for that until you see how the night goes?" Pansy asked, raising her eyebrows and giggling at Theo's body's betrayal of him. "Why don't you go take care of that and I'll keep him company until you get back?"

"You're a lifesaver Pansy," Theo said, racing off to the bathroom.

* * *

Blaise just wanted to get a quick drink and then head back to his apartment and his cat. He'd left Mr. Whiskers in the company of his next door neighbor for too long. Poor thing was probably wearing one of those hand knitted sweaters she loved to foist on him.

"Blaise," a familiar voice called out to him, signaling that he wasn't going to be going home any time soon, "I need a favor."

He turned towards the sound of the voice to find Pansy Parkinson standing right next to him. The girl had changed a lot since their school years together. She'd gotten prettier that was for sure.

"What can I do for you, Pansy?" he asked, watching her suspiciously. They'd dated back in fifth year before he'd come out as bisexual. More like before she'd outed him in public by walking in on him and the boy he had been cheating on her with but that didn't matter now. "You aren't still mad about fifth year, are you?"

Pansy sarcastically raised her eyebrow at him and folded her arms over her chest. "What do you think?" she asked.

"I'll take that as a yes. So, why do you need my help?"

"I tried setting Theo up on a blind date and the guy totally flaked on me, last minute." She sighed knowing that she was going to regret doing this. "It would be very helpful to me if you could maybe pretend to be Theo's blind date." She pointed towards the bar where a tall man stood fidgeting.

Blaise stared in shock. Theo had changed so much since their time in the Slytherin dormitory. The once stocky boy was now well built and more muscled than Blaise could have imagined him being. The blond hair was cut in one of those Muggle buzz cuts that Blaise found more sexy than ever. The blue eyes were the things that pulled him in. Full of fear and concern.

"Fine," he said. "But only because I feel sorry for the poor sod."

"Good," Pansy said, placing a rose in his hands, "because I already kind of told him you were his date." She led Blaise over to where Theo stood. "I'll just leave you two to it then. Have fun but not too much fun." She winked at Theo, who turned a vivid pink.

Once Pansy had wandered off, Blaise realized that they were still standing there awkwardly at the bar. He looked around for an empty table and not finding one he turned to Theo.

"Do you maybe want to get out of here and go mini golfing or something like that?" he asked, swallowing the lump in his throat at how close Theo was. How attractive Theo had gotten? Not to mention how close Theo was.

"I'd love that," Theo said nervously. "Is that what you have planned for our first date or is it some sort of adventure?"

"An adventure, of course. When you're like us you've got to live on the adventurous side, don't you?"

Theo sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and then nodded nervously.

"Don't worry," Blaise chuckled. "Stick with me kid and you'll have fun."

* * *

"So how do we do this?" Theo asked, looking at the club that Blaise was holding out to him. "I've never done this before."

"You've never been to a Muggle mini putt before?" Blaise asked, shocked. "It's one of the most popular first date spots ever."

"That's just it. I've never been on many first dates."

Blaise smiled as he took Theo's hand and led him towards the first hole of the game. "You have to take the club like this," he said, placing it the correct way in Theo's hand. "Get the grip just right." He thought for a second. "It's riding a broom. You have to have a gentle yet firm grip on the club."

"Like this?" Theo asked as he showed Blaise the way he was gripping the club.

"Loosen your fingers up a bit. You're gripping too tight."

Theo's face went pink again at the mention of gripping it too tight. He nervously chuckled as he loosened his grip.

"That's it." Blaise moved so he was standing behind Theo. Taking Theo's hips he gently corrected the blond's stance, allowing his fingers to slowly travel over the muscles of Theo's upper body as moved to encircle the other boy in his arms. "You swing like this." He moved along with Theo blushing when the movement started the familiar stirring. "Why don't you try on your own?"

Theo nodded, getting into the stance that Blaise had shown him, wishing for the feel of Blaise's hands on his body again. He pulled the club back and whacked the ball as hard as he could.

The little orange ball went flying halfway across the mini gold course, causing people to scream and duck in cover. Theo felt his face red in embarrassment. He wanted to make a good impression on Blaise. Bad impressions definitely didn't get you a second date, or at least that was what Pansy said.

"Next time try a little less force," Blaise leaned close and whispered in Theo's ear, "and a little more wand."

They were doing great and having after that. That is until one of the mini golf employees, a Squib, caught them doing magic to cheat. Who knew you could be thrown out of mini golf for using magic to cheat.

Theo laughed and laughed as Blaise led him away from the tower castle that stood as the mini golf's check in place. Blaise liked the way that Theo's smile lit up his face when he laughed.

"Where to next tour guide of fun?" Theo asked jokingly.

Blaise wracked his mind for places they could. Where did Muggles guys take their dates? Two places immediately came to mind from Muggle Studies class. Dinner and the movies.

"How would you feel about getting some food?" Blaise asked.

"Food is good," Theo said, giggling. "I like food."

Blaise remembered that much from their Hogwarts days. He remembered fondly how the fourth year Slytherin boys had had a hot dog eating contest in the dorm. That's when he first got the inkling that he might be bisexual.

"I remember," he said. "Italian good with you?"

"Sure."

* * *

Theo sighed yet again as the waitress giggled at something that Blaise had said. She had been making it pretty clear that the only person she was paying attention to at the table was Blaise. He was getting a tad bit annoyed at this Muggle wench.

"See, Mica, I'm here on a date," Blaise told her, "and we'll have a bowl of the special to split between us. That is if it's alright with you, love?" Blaise reached across the table and laced his finger through Theo's hand.

"More than fine with me, darling."

The girl glared at Theo and then went off to put in the order. Theo started giggle again as Blaise stroked his hand. There was definitely something there, right? The sparks he was feeling weren't just in his imagination. After all, Blaise Zabini could have any boy or girl in the world that he wanted. He wouldn't stick around with someone if they weren't the right choice.

"I don't think she liked you," Blaise pointed out.

"I think I agree but I do think she liked you." Theo looked at their entwined hands and then back into Blaise's eyes. "You could have anybody in the world that you wanted, why would you choose someone like me?"

Blaise smirked as he leaned across the table. "Because you're sexy," he said, pressing a kiss to Theo's lips. "The way your face lights up when you laugh and smile changes the way it looks." Another kiss, this time more passionate. "Did I mention you're sexy?"

Theo giggled blushing. "You might have mentioned it once already," he stuttered nervously. The tingling that started from their entwined hands moving towards his whole body.

The rest of the meal passed pleasantly. The waitress had asked to be taken off Theo and Blaise's table and the waiter that replaced her was much more nicer. The food was delicious or at least Theo thought so.

"Here try this," Blaise said, holding out a fork full of mussels.

"What is it?" Theo asked.

"Mussels. They are my absolute favorite. You have to try them." When Theo made no move to take the fork Blaise smiled. "Just close your eyes and open your mouth. Trust me."

Closing his eyes and opening his mouth, Theo felt the fork enter his mouth. The salty, tangy taste of marinara along with the salty sea taste of the mussels made him hum in enjoyment.

"This is amazing," Theo exclaimed.

After dinner Blaise took Theo to a movie which they didn't get to see all the way through. They were thrown out for being too loud and making out in the back row of the theater.

"What now?" Theo asked, watching Blaise.

"I think we should call it a night, don't you?"

"Why?"

"We don't want to blow all the fun things on the first date, now do we?" Blaise chuckled at the disappointed look on Theo's face.

"But I'm having so much fun."

Blaise had to admit he was having fun too. He laced his fingers through Theo's as he walked the blond home. He had to be honest with Theo though, the other man deserved the honesty and Blaise hated lying.

"I have to be honest with you about something," Blaise said suddenly, stopping midstep and turning to Theo.

"About what?" Theo asked in fear. This was what he was afraid of when allowing Pansy to set him up on a blind date. That the guy would only pretend to like him and not actually like him at all.

"Theo, I'm not really your blind date," Blaise admitted.

"What?"

"Pansy asked me to go out with you because your blind date that you were supposed to meet up with flaked out on you both." He saw Theo's face go disappointed. "But I had such a great time with you, love. I would do this over again in a heartbeat."

"You would?"

"I would." He leaned close to Theo and brushed his lips against the other boys. "I would love to take you on a proper first date. One that isn't impromptu and thrown together at the last minute. If that's alright with you?"

"Pick me up here tomorrow at six then?"

"It's a date."

Blaise watched as Theo walked dreamily up to his front door. He would have to get on planning their next date adventure, now wouldn't he?

**I hope you all enjoyed Adventure Date as much as I enjoyed writing it. Theo and Blaise are so fun to write together. They are goals!**


	16. Subway Disaster

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Meet Cute Marathon, and Wacky Wandmakers on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Media Studies: #Hogwarts assignment: Task 13 (Extra Credit) - Write about a pureblood witch/wizard using a modern cell phone. **

**Insane Prompt List: 418. (romantic pairing) Andromeda/Alice**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Shamrock Socks Prince 1,500 words, searching for something**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 16 - ** **A was traveling on the subway when the lights flickered. Then they went out. Gasps of surprise were heard echoing in the dark, replaced by a screeching of the breaks, letting everyone know that the subway was coming to a halt. From beside him/her, B instinctively reached out and fumbled for A's hand in the dark; solidarity among strangers against the unknown.**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Spruce Wood Wand (emotion) frightened, and Thestral Tail Hair Core (location) Muggle London**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,588 words**

**Warning for a bit of out of character but that's about it. Word count is 1,588 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Subway Disaster.**

Alice Prewett was used to the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Muggle London. It was one of her favorite things about the city. The one thing that separated it from the little town she grew up in.

"Good morning, Miss Prewett," the grey-haired man behind the turnstile at the subway station said as she approached him. "How have you been this morning? Still seeing that nice young man you've been telling me about? Fred? Francis?"

"Frank," Alice supplied as she paid for her subway ticket, "and no. We broke up weeks ago. I thought I'd told you, Al."

"Must have slipped my mind, Alice. You'll find someone you're meant to be with, you mark me. A nice girl like you won't stay single long."

"You always know what to say to make me feel, Al. Thank you!"

"You're welcome. You have a nice rest of your day, Alice."

"You too, Al," she called back as she raced to get on the subway. She knew that if she wasn't right on the car in time they'd pull off without. Not that she'd mind. Al was always enjoyable to talk to but after the day she'd just had at work, all she wanted to do was go home and forget about everything.

Looking around for an empty seat, she found one in front of rich looking caramel-haired beauty. The sort that didn't look like they rode the subway that often. The woman sat straight as board as though if she actually allowed herself to relax she might be attacked at any minute.

"Hello," Alice said, in a friendly greeting to the woman, who looked shocked to be addressed by a stranger.

"Hello," the woman said, in the tone of voice that Alice was most familiar with. A tone she'd heard most her life being a Pureblood witch. She watched as the woman tensely looked out the window. She could see the fear in the brown eyes and wondered what this woman had to be afraid of.

The subway car jerked forward as they began to move again. Alice had been riding the subway since her and her ex-boyfriend Frank had been assigned to London offices of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. She was used to the jerky motion and clamber to find a seat that was going on around. So used to it that it gave her time to try and puzzle out the motivation of the woman behind her.

Alice was so lost in her thoughts she almost didn't catch the slight flickering of the lights in the subway car. It was slight enough that anyone not watching for it wouldn't have noticed. Alice waved it off as nothing. The lights flickered sometimes when the weather was too warm, or there was too much snow.

But then the lights started to flicker for longer periods of time. She could see that most of the people around weren't that concerned but as an Auror she was trained to be on alert for anything that could go wrong. This definitely fell under that preview.

A few minutes later, the lights went out all together, casting them into pitch blackness. A few gasps of surprise were heard from nearby. The sound of the subways brakes screeching to a halt was heard. Of course, they had to stop. Couldn't very well risk running off the track or not seeing the signal for a track change.

Alice heard the woman behind her talking to someone. That was impossible though. The woman had been alone and no one was behind her.

"Tell Dora I'm sorry and I'll be a bit late picking her up tonight, Ted," the woman's voice said, the polished Pureblood tone more pronounced than before. "It's not like I planned for the subway to break down." A man's voice could be heard on the other end of the phone. He seemed to be yelling at this poor woman. "You really think I don't want to see my own child. Do you really think I'm that horrible of a mother, Ted?"

It was then that Alice saw the small device in the woman's hand. It was one of those ones that would be hard to notice if you weren't looking for it. But Alice had been looking for it, and spotted the black device pressed against the woman's ear.

"Ted, I wish that you wouldn't talk ill of me in front of Dora," she said, the sound of tears present in her voice. "I would never do that to you. Is it too much to expect you to return the favor?"

Alice looked around herself searching for some way off of this tin can. She'd never been trapped like this before. She'd only ever experience the lights going out on the subway once and that was for a few seconds. Looking at her watch in the darkness she could see that it was now going on a half hour since the lights had gone out.

"Don't worry, Dora, I'll be there as soon as I can," the woman was saying over the cell phone pressed to her ear. She must have seen the panic on Alice's face because Alice felt a searching hand brush against her own in the darkness. The finger finally finding Alice's and lacing through her own. "Mummy loves you, Dora."

Alice heard a little voice answer on the other end of the line. She couldn't make out what was said but she knew that it had made the woman behind her happy. The huge smile on the caramel-haired woman's face made a smile stretch across Alice's own features.

"I don't usually just grab people's hands on the subway," the woman said nervously to Alice. "It's just you seemed so frightened and I thought knowing that someone else was here would help you. I would hope someone would do that for my daughter if she was in the same situation as we are."

"I'm Alice," Alice stated plainly. "I understand exactly what you mean."

"I'm Andromeda. It's very nice to meet you, Alice."

Andromeda was more down to earth than Alice would have originally thought upon just hearing the woman's voice. She'd been part of a Pureblood family that had disowned her when she up married her ex-husband Ted Tonks. Her and Ted had a daughter named Nymphadora, who hated her name. Hence the talking about someone named Dora. She had been on her way to pick up Dora from her father's house when the subway had broken down. That was part of the custody agreement. Andromeda got custody of Dora while Ted got visitation rights.

"Is he a good father?" Alice asked, as she watched Andromeda watch her phone. "He takes care of his responsibilities to Dora, right?"

Andromeda nodded, brown eyes full of sorrow. "He takes great care of Dora. He loves Dora more than I think he ever really loved me."

"That can't be true. You guys both loved each other at one point in time, right?"

"That's a good way to look at it," Andromeda said as her phone started ringing again. "It's Ted. I've got to take this."

Alice nodded and gave the woman some privacy. She made it a point to keep her hand firmly in Andromeda's. Solidarity after all. She could tell whatever Ted was saying was making Andromeda very upset. She really wanted to give Ted a piece of her mind but knew that as an Auror she could get in big trouble for that.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the conductor's voice came over the loudspeaker, "a transformer has blown and we are working as hard as we can to get this problem fixed. We are sorry for any inconvenience this is having and hope to be under way in a few minutes. Thank you for your patience."

Alice doesn't know how much longer it is after the conductors message that the lights blink on and off a couple of times. But she does know that she saw it. She looks around the subway car to see people broken out of their thoughts and conversation. Then the sounds of the subways usual hum went through the air. The car jerk forward once more and they were moving.

"That wasn't so," Andromeda said, smiling at Alice. "Do you have a cell phone?"

Alice shook her head. "I don't. It's…" She didn't know what to say here. She would sound like a horrible person if she gave the reason of it being Muggle technology and something she didn't know how to use. But that in and of itself was the truth.

"Don't worry. I was much the same way when Ted first introduced me to Muggle technology," she whispered. "Maybe someone you know could show you how to use a phone?"

Alice nodded. Her roommate and best friend, Lily, was a Muggleborn and knew all about Muggle technology. She would definitely be able to show Alice the ropes of it.

"Here's my number then. I hope you will consider using and keeping in touch."

"I most certainly will," Alice said, looking up as her destination came into view. "This is my stop. Talk to you later."

"Talk to you later," she heard Andromeda say as she exited the subway and made her way up to street level.

Alice knew one thing was for sure as soon as she got home she was going to ask Lily to teach her to use the phone. She wanted to talk to Andromeda again very soon.

**I hope you all enjoyed Subway Disaster as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	17. Luna's Mistaken Identity Crisis

**Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by Insane Prompt List, and Meet Cute Marathon on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Insane Prompt List: 381. (romantic pairing) Ginny/Luna**

**Meet Cute Marathon: A accidentally puts the wrong number into their phone and texts B by mistake.**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 617 words**

**Warning for cheating on a partner and sexting. Word count is 617 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Luna's Mistaken Identity Crisis. **

Luna typed the number into her phone wanting to text her current girlfriend, Hermione. She'd enjoyed the night they spent together very much. Her toes curled at the memory of some of the things that Hermione did to her.

_I had a fun time last night. I didn't know you could do that thing you did with your tongue. Why didn't you show me that before now?"_

Luna felt her face heat up as Hermione's phone pinged across the room. But she soon found out that it wasn't Hermione's phone at all.

_I wish I could say that I had fun last night too but I'm pretty sure that I wasn't there. What thing do whoever you're trying to reach do with their tongue?_

Luna's face flushed a shade of pink that would bring any flower to shame. She looked at the number trying to reconcile it with people she knew had cell phones. It wasn't a very long list and the number didn't belong to any of them.

_I'd rather not discuss that. It's rather personal between myself and the person I was trying to text. _

The instant ping of her phone had Luna digging it out of the pocket of her big purple hoodie that Hermione had bought her. She blushed as she read the message.

_I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping we could discuss this further or not and have a little phone fun ourselves. That is if you're interested?_

Luna reread the words that were glowing on the screen of her phone. She was loyal to her girlfriend but then again Hermione hadn't said anything about them being exclusive with just each other.

_And this would just stay between the two of us, right?_

Luna watched in confusion as first a winking emoji showed up on the screen. Shortly to be followed by an eggplant.

_You want to squint at eggplants?_

The reply was instant. A couple of laughing face emojis popped onto her screen followed by the letters LOL. Luna knew that LOL means laugh out loud but she didn't understand why this person wanted to laugh out loud.

_Maybe we'll trying something more easier. _The person texted her back a few minutes later. _Send pics?_

Luna smiled as she went to her photos and chose a few of her favorites to send to whoever she was talking about. Most of them were of the strange creatures that Luna enjoyed talking about. But one was of herself and Hermione hugging.

Her phone binged a few minutes later. Opening the message Luna found herself blown away by what she saw on the screen. Her mouth hung agape as the images started to download onto her phone.

_I think you misunderstood what I meant again, Luna. _

The first image took Luna's breath away. She'd never thought of Ginny the way she thought of Hermione before now. The redhead had posed herself with her hair hanging over her bare chest as she lay in the grass somewhere. The next shot was pretty much the same. Then the shots became more and more risque. Luna quickly closed the phone on the last image. She wanted Ginny to straddle her like she was the chair.

_Luna?_

Luna stared at the phone contemplating what she should do. It would be wrong to do something like this with Ginny when she was with Hermione. But a small part of her couldn't help but want to see where this could go.

_It would stay between the two of us, right?_

_Right._

With the feeling of guilt hanging over her Luna took and sent the requested pictures. The guilt was bad but at the same time she felt free.

**I hope you all enjoyed Luna's Mistaken Identity Crisis. **


	18. Assassin's Lover

**Story Title/Link: Assassin's Lover**

**School and Theme: Ilvermorny and Flashbacks**

**Main Prompt: (action) waiting**

**Year: 2**

**Word count: 899 words**

**Warnings for Assassin!AU, plans of character death, and bit out of character. **

* * *

The sound of early morning birdsong was interrupted by a loud explosion coming from the Weasley house as he waited to place his own bomb. This would have upset Dean seeing as he was hired by Mr. George Weasley to take out the man's cheating husband. The problem was that he had yet to set the bomb that he'd prepared.

As the sounds of a sexy Irish voice cursing up a blue streak came from around the side of the house, Dean allowed the memories of the conversation with George to take him over. The one where the man had hired him to kill Oliver Wood.

* * *

It had started like any normal day in Dean's life. With the sun shining down into his eyes from the window of his rented apartment room. He wished he hadn't drank so much last night. That combined with the damned light was giving him one mother of a headache.

"Do you want me to make breakfast for us?" the man he'd taken home last night, in his inebriation, asked as he rolled out of bed. "I make a mean eggs benedict."

"Get out!"

The man looked like he was about to argue with Dean, who simply looked over the gun poking out of his nightstand drawer. That must have been all the man needed to see because he turned a pale white that would have rivaled the sheets and quickly dressed.

Dean watched the blond as he high tailed it out of the house. The man was nice, and not too hard on the eyes. Not that that mattered, Dean wasn't looking for anyone to share his life with. His job made sharing a life with someone difficult.

He was just about to pick up the phone and call the man, whose name he'd forgotten back for another round and possibly that breakfast he was talking about, when the phone rang. This was strange because no one had his number. At least not the number for the phone that was ringing. It was his work phone. Picking it up he quickly answered, all thoughts of sex leaving his mind.

"You've got Thomas," Dean said, preferring to share only his last name with his clients, "what can I do for you?"

"I need you to kill someone," said a voice he remembered from his Hogwarts days flowed down the line.

"Take it easy, George." He'd never thought of George Weasley as the killing people type of guy. He guessed that sort of thing changed easily if someone was pushed enough.

"Don't tell me to take it easy," the angry voice came down the line, making Dean wince. "Do you know how many times I've been cheated on and just looked the other way? Do you?"

"I can't say that I do," Dean said calmly, waiting for the man to calm down. "But…"

"No. The time for talking and looking the other way is over. I wanted to hire someone that I could trust to do the job and do it properly. Are you that person or should I hang up and call someone else? I'm waiting!"

Dean was about to tell him to hang up and call someone else but the thought of how unprofessional that would make him look gave him pause. He ended up accepting the offer after a short pause for waiting and started planning how he'd do the killing.

* * *

That had been about three months ago. Three months of waiting, planning, trying, and he had yet to accomplish his mission. Someone kept getting in the way and stopping him from killing Oliver Wood. Every attempt he made was foiled by this person.

He had thought this one would succeed where all the other attempts had failed and yet the same bloody person had gotten the drop on him yet again. He stalked closer to the place where the cursing was coming from.

"Bloody idiot," the sandy-haired man squatting in the bushes covered in scrapes and cuts yelled. "Why did I think I could handle this on my own?"

"I was going to ask the same thing," Dean said, putting his hands on the man's arm. Removing them a few minutes later at the pained look on the man's face, still waiting for an answer. "You're the bloody idiot that's been stopping me from killing my target."

"You're target," the brown-eyed man said, tensing quickly. "He's my target. I'm going to kill him for my best mate, George."

Dean cocked an eyebrow. The explosion of the bomb had told him that it was well made. This man was an expert at making huge explosions. Looking at his own homemade pipe bomb he smiled at the man.

"I've got an idea," he said, patting the bomb at his side. "What do you say we combine our forces and kill this bastard together? That way, you get to help your friend, and I get paid, what do you say?"

"I only agree if we split the money 50/50."

"You've got yourself a deal, love. I'm Dean Thomas."

"Seamus Finnigan, explosive extraordinaire at your service."

Dean allowed Seamus to make a few last minute adjustments to the bomb and then placed it as quickly as he could.

With the sound of birdsong once again surrounding them, Dean smiled as he thought that this could be the start of something beautiful for them both.

**Also for a few things over on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Photography assignment: Task 1 - Write about facing a challenge for work.**

**Insane Prompt List: 363. (character) Seamus Finnigan**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: "Kiss Me I'm Irish" T-Shirt, 300 words, an explosion**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 19 - A is a professional assassin hired to take out a client's cheating husband. But the client also spoke to B, a close friend, who has made it his/her's own mission to _also _kill the husband. Unfortunately, both A and B have chosen the same night to do so, and it just so happens that B is a bit clumsy… and keeps getting in A's way.**

**Hello Spring - Birdsong**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Kokoro (word) drunk**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 899 words**


	19. Beauty in all it's Glory

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Spell Origins and Creation: Lumos and Nox assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Meet Cute Marathon, and Wacky Wandmakers on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Spell Origins and Creation: Lumos and Nox assignment: Task 2 - Write about an uncommon Light/Dark pairing coming together for something. **

**Insane Prompt List: 402. (romantic pairing) Rabastan/Kingsley **

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Accessory Set Price 600 words, (setting) Ireland**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 20 - ** **A is walking down the street when s/he notices B being harassed by a man preaching about B's so-claimed sins. Seeing how upset B is and how unfairly the man is treating him/her, A steps in and tells the man to shove off.**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Hornbeam Carpinus Wood Wand (setting) Field of flowers, and Thunderbird Tail Feather Core (theme) escape**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 767 words**

**Warning for a bit of homophobia and Bible thumping. Word count is 767 words. I hope you all enjoyed the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Beauty in all it's Glory. **

The rolling hills of Ireland were the most beautiful and peaceful place that Kingsley could think of. Both picturesque and majestic at the same time. He bent down to pick a flower in the field full of them.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, young fellow," an Irish brogue filled voice rang out disturbing the peace of the field of flowers Kingsley had found himself in. "We don't take to your sort here."

"I'm just passing through," the most drop dead sexiest voice Kingsley had ever heard answered the man. "I'll be out of your way in a minute."

"Your sort have tainted this land for years, sonny, with your way of life. It's a sin, you know that much. It's a sin and you're going to burn for."

"I...I don't know what you're talking about, sir. I'm just trying to get to the next town over. If you'll just let me pass then I'll be out of your hair in a minute. Just please let me pass."

"We don't allow sins like yours to pass here in Catholic Ireland. Who knows who you'll corrupt with your man loving ways?"

Kingsley felt like he was going to be sick from what he was hearing. How could someone just plain judge someone they didn't even know? How could someone judge someone else's way of life without having lived it themselves first?

"Beware the path that this young fellow goes down," the Irish brogue rang out as Kingsley drew nearer. It belonged to a grey-haired older man with moss colored eyes that were glaring at the poor young man standing flabbergasted in front of him.

"Excuse me," Kingsley said, gaining the attention of both attacker and victim at the same time, "I was just wondering what was wrong here?"

"This young whipper snapper here is one of the gays," the old man said. "I'm sure a good lad like you has been taught good and proper where those sort go. It's not heaven." He looked accusingly over at the young dark-haired man when he said this.

"The gays?"

"You know?" Old man looked imploringly at Kingsley as though begging him not to make him say it. "The ones who enjoy the company of other young fellows. It's not natural, that. It's not the way that God made us."

"Is that so?" Kingsley looked over at the downtrodden looking man. He felt himself somewhat attracted the way the brown eyes refused to break contact with their attacker.

"It is. The good book says so."

"It does?"

The man flipped open a hand held book with a cross on the front of it and turned it towards Kingsley. Pointing to a passage that basically said men shouldn't lie together.

"Doesn't your good book say do unto others as you would have done to you? I'm pretty sure that you would want to be attacked for no good reason other than who you're attracted to, right? I know I wouldn't."

"I'm attracted to the right sort."

"The right sort. You keep saying that but I don't think you even know what that means, sir. You thump your Bible at me and judge this man. Do you really think you're following what it says in that book of yours?"

"You little…"

"Because if I've done my reading correctly," Kingsley interrupted the man, "your Jesus used to hang around with a lot of people you'd consider undesirables. The man was friends with prostitutes and tax collectors. Kind of makes me think that he's a far better man than most of his followers nowadays. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll just be passing through." He held his hand out to the younger dark-haired man.

The younger man entwined his finger with Kingsley and allowed himself to be led away from the still fuming older man. When he seemed sure that the man couldn't hear him the dark-haired man began to speak.

"Thank you for that," he said. "There are a lot of people like that here in Ireland or at least most of the ones I've run into seem like that."

"It's ridiculous," Kingsley said in agreement. "I'm Kingsley by the way. Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Rabastan Lestrange."

"Do you have a place to stay tonight, Rabastan? I've got room at my place if you need one."

"I'd like that."

Kingsley took one last look back at the field of flowers he'd been admiring and then led Rabastan back to bed and breakfast he was staying at. He couldn't help thinking that this was the start of something very beautiful for him and other young man.

**I hope you all enjoyed Beauty in all it's Glory as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would like to point out that the beliefs portrayed in this story are not my own. I believe that you should be free to love whoever you want. It doesn't matter what gender, ethnicity, or whatever else you throw into the equation. Until next time, take care of yourself and each other. **


	20. Pants and a Pot of Gold

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Photography assignment, Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Gift Tag, Meet Cute Marathon, Wacky Wandmakers, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Photography assignment: Task 2 - Write a story with the setting of a dressing room. **

**Insane Prompt List: 361. (character) Percy Weasley**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Shillelagh Price 600 words, pot of gold**

**Gift Tag: For Elizabeth Percy/Oliver (AU) Single Parent**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 18 - ****Well, this is totally embarrassing. A is in the fitting room trying on clothes when the pair of jeans is too tight and gets stuck. B, the fitting room attendant, knocks on the door to ask if everything's alright, and A awkwardly asks if they can… um… help.**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Tamarack Wood Wand (trait) suave, and Basilisk Horn Core (word) heinous**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Aquamarine (color) Aquamarine **

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,215 words**

**Waring for Single Parent!AU and a bit out of character. Word count is 1,215 words. I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter of The Cutest Meetings Pants and a Pot of Gold. **

The aquamarine jumper looked absolutely horrid with the corduroy pants that his 12 year old daughter Lucy had talked him into trying on. Not only did the jumper look horrible but he could tell his daughter was going to be just like her mother, his ex-wife Audrey, when it came to judging sizes for clothes.

"Let's have a look," his 14 year old daughter Molly teasingly called out to him.

"I would rather have my foot chewed off by a wolf than come out of this dressing room in this outfit," Percy stated, taking in his appearance in the long elegant floor length mirror on the back of the door. His red hair was disheveled from shoving the jumper over his head. Plus there was no way in Merlin's beard that he was going out there in front of his daughter with pants this tight. People were bound to think him some kind of pervert.

"Now you know how we feel," Lucy crowed triumphantly, as though making a mockery of her father was the best victory ever. "Come on. I'm sure it's not that bad, Dad."

"It's more than that bad," Percy exclaimed. "It's a heinous crime against fashion." He hoped that would appease them by talking about one of their favorite things. Fashion.

"Not going to work," Molly called back in a sing-songy voice.

"Come on out," Lucy said, giggling. "I promise we won't laugh, if that's what you're afraid of?"

It was partly what he was afraid of. The other part was the part where the pants were starting to feel like they were cutting off the circulation to his legs. With a sigh, he slowly opened the door, seeing that they weren't going to give in any time soon. He walked out turning a vivid red color that only happened when he was embarrassed about something.

"You were right," Lucy said, putting a small hand on the small of his back and pushing him back towards the dressing room. "What size were those?"

"I don't remember," he said, sighing dramatically. "I'll let you know when I have them properly off, alright?"

"You better," Molly giggled, "or we'll just guess at sizes again until we get it right?"

Percy couldn't believe how old his daughters were getting. He could remember when they were first born and very tiny. Now they were almost full grown adults.

"Better get these things off," he said to himself as he tugged on the tight fabric of the pants. They didn't budge. He tugged again with the same result.

"What's taking so long in there?" Lucy asked, concern coloring her voice, from the other side of the door.

"Um…" He didn't know how he was supposed to word this. Was he supposed to ask the girls for their help? But, no, that would be a tad bit embarrassing to be seen helping your father out of a pair of pants you forced him into.

"Dad?"

"I think I'm stuck in the pants," he said hesitantly.

"What do we do?" Molly said panic clearly in her voice through the door.

"Well we don't panic first off," Percy said, keeping a clear head during times of trouble was one of his strong suits. "Second, there's bound to be a dressing room attendant. Why don't one of you go find him and ask him to come help?"

"Or her," Molly pointed out.

Percy didn't really think that they would have a female dressing room attendant that worked the male dressing rooms. But he wouldn't tell his daughters. He'd always told them that they could do whatever they wanted. He guessed that meant that women could be male dressing room attendants too.

The sounds of two pairs of retreating footsteps caught his ears. Now that he was sure they were gone he began to tug in earnest. He didn't want anyone else to see him in this state. Especially not a perfect stranger.

It seemed like he'd been tugging and pulling on the legs of the pants forever when the sounds of footsteps approaching reached his ears. These were followed shortly after by a swift knock on the door.

"Sir, your daughter said you could use a hand in there," came a definitely masculine voice. A velvety Irish brogued voice that made his knees go weak.

"I can use a hand," Percy stuttered out nervously. "I kind of got stuck in this pair of pants and can't seem to get back out of them. No matter how hard I try."

"Well let's just open the door and see if we can't get you sorted out then," the voice answered energetically.

Opening the door slowly, Percy got his first look at the man who'd come to his rescue. He was one of the most handsomest men Percy's ever seen in his life before. Sandy-hair, big brown eyes that Percy could just drown in, and well muscled. Percy blushed as he looked down at his hands. He couldn't help but glance at the other man, catching the edge of something peeking out from between the waistband of his pants and the hem of his shirt. He'd definitely have to remember to ask about it after he was free of the pants.

"Have you tried lying on your back and wiggling them down that way?" the man, whose name tag read Oliver, asked, trying to be helpful.

"I did. It didn't work."

"Well then would you be opposed to lying on your back and me pulling the pants off?" Oliver asked with a flirty wink, which must have been Percy's imagination.

"I suppose that could possibly work."

Oliver nodded towards the floor and waited patiently for Percy to comply. He undid the button and zipper, taking hold of the waistband of the pants. "This is the difficult part," he said, taking a breath. "Are you ready to suck in your breath while I pull?"

"Suck in my breath?"

"To slim out your stomach."

Percy's face turned that vivid shade of embarrassed red again as he nodded and sucked in big deep breath. He watched as Oliver easily had the pants off in no time.

"Thank you, Oliver."

"You're welcome…."

"Percy." Percy supplied for the handsome man.

"You're welcome, Percy." He pulled out a piece of paper and quickly jot something down and handed it to Percy. "Do you need any more help?"

"Actually," Percy said, realizing that the thing he'd seen earlier was a tattoo, "I was wondering what kind of tattoo you had? I'm thinking of getting one and wanted to see what yours looked like."

Oliver chuckled and nodded. It was clear that he didn't believe that story but it didn't stop him raising the hem of his shirt and lowering his waistband. Right above his pelvis was a rainbow ending in a pot of gold.

"A pot of gold?" Percy asked.

Oliver nodded. "But most of the fellows are always after me lucky charms, if you know what I mean?" He backed out of the dressing room after straightening his clothes. "If you're interested give me a call."

Percy watched the cocky man saunter away from. He, for sure, knew that he would be using the man's number once the girls had gone back to Audrey's and he was alright with that.

**I hope you all enjoyed Pants and a Pot of Gold as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	21. A New Camelot

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Home Economics and Domestic Magic: House Elves assignment, Insane Prompt List, Meet Cute Marathon, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Shipping Wars, Link Maker, Spring Bingo, and Trope Bingo on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Home Economics and Domestic Magic: House Elves assignment: Task 1 - Write about a servant. **

**Insane Prompt List: 335. (character) Cedric Diggory**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 21 - A is a stable hand for the Queen's Riders. While tending to the horses, B stumbles in, trying to hide from the clinking of armour outside the stables, taking refuge in a pile of hay in the stall A is mucking out. B cries out, "Don't tell them I'm here. Please!"**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Mermista (AU) Royalty **

**Shipping Wars: Harry Potter/Cedric Diggory (Desperately Seeking), Spring Big List (borrowed clothing), 1,168 words**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,168 words**

**Spring Bingo: 4B (renewal), 1,168 words**

**Trope Bingo: 3C (The Hero's Journey), 1,168 words**

**Warning for King Arthur!AU, Royalty!AU, mentions of character death, and a bit out of character. Word count is 1,168 words. I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter of The Cutest Meetings A New Camelot. **

The smell of horse manure and hard work always made Cedric smile. He doesn't know why but it does. His job being one of the most rewarding he knows of in the kingdom.

"Easy there, Barnabas," he said as a nearby horse whickered as it stamped impatiently waiting for it's stall to be mucked good and proper. "I'll be done as soon as you know it."

The whinnied and stamped again. Cedric smiled and shook his head as he moved towards the nearest pile of hay. That was when the strangest thing he'd ever seen happened.

A dark-haired, green-eyed boy ran into the stable panting and looking behind. Without looking to make sure he was alone, the boy jumped straight into the hay Cedric was about to thrust his pitchfork into.

Raising an eyebrow at these antics, Cedric walked to the door and was about to open it when a voice called out to him, halting his actions.

"Don't tell them I'm here," the green-eyed boy said, fear coloring his voice. "Please! They'll kill me if they find me."

"Why?" Cedric asked in concern. "What did you do that was so bad?"

"It's not what I did." The admission of this was more shocking for Cedric than it was for the boy obviously. "It's who I am."

"Who are you?"

"I can't say now. They just can't find me, alright?"

Cedric sighed. "Then why did you come into the Queen's stables to hide? Don't you think there are much better hiding places than this?"

"The company wouldn't have been quite as attractive in those other places," the younger man said with a smirk and a wink. "Do you even know who I am?"

The clink of armour sounded like it was getting closer and closer by the minute. If this boy was in true trouble he had a weird way of showing it. Running into the stables and then gabbing as though he hadn't just pleaded for his location not be given away.

"I don't know who you are," Cedric sighed, "but if you don't stay quite and get further down into that haystack you're going to be found. I am not taking the blame for it if you are."

An impertinent snort was heard from the haystack, then the sound of someone burrowing into it. At least this boy knew when to save his own skin, Cedric had to give him that one.

A few minutes later the door was thrown open unceremoniously, making Barnabas whinny and knicker about in concern. The guards came crashing into the stables and looked around as though expecting to find someone. All they found was Cedric and the poor frightened horse.

"What can I do for you fellows?" Cedric asked, soothingly stroking the horse's neck to calm him down. "You should know better than to scare the Queen's horses like this."

"We were chasing a boy," the lead guard, a troll of a man named Marcus, said, looking around the stables as though expecting the boy to pop out of nowhere, "we were just wondering if he came in here?"

"Nope," Cedric said, popping the p in the word for enthesis. "I haven't seen anyone all day except for yourselves."

"Are sure?" Marcus pressed anxiously. "Queen Bellatrix needs to know where this boy is. He's a pretender to her throne and needs to be dealt with promptly. If you know where he is and tell us, there could very well be a lordship in it for you, Diggory."

"I'd rather earn my title the right way, sir. Through hard work and discipline."

"So be it. But if it comes to our attention that you've harbored this criminal, his fate will be your own. Do hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

Marcus's dark beady eyes traveled around the stables once more landing on the haystack they boy was hiding in for way too long than was necessary. He did a double take before stepping closer for a better look. He must not have found it interesting because he stormed from the stables with a flick of his hand to indicate that his men should follow.

He waited until he was sure that he couldn't hear the armoured men any more before he went over to the haystack and motioned for the boy to come out of hiding. He took a closer look at the boy this time. Taking in every feature of the upturned face. The messy, flyaway black hair that was so much like the old king's that it should have been a dead give away. The kindly green eyes that were much like the former queen's it made Cedric's heartbreak. The smooth pale skin that wasn't cracked from the sun or hard work. The smooth, soft looking hand with their uncracked nails, that Cedric wouldn't mind feeling running up and down his back.

Mentally berating himself for thinking such things towards the crowned prince of the kingdom he looked towards the door. He knew the guards were gone but if they came back it would spell trouble for the boy.

"Prince Harry?" Cedric asked, taking a closer look.

"Yes," Harry said with a nod. "You were my mother's stable boy when she and my father were still alive." He looked around the stables to find only horrible looking, unfriendly black steads were in the place of the softer toned ponies and horses that his family was fond of.

The only one left over from King James and Queen Lily was Barnabas and that was because Cedric had bought him outright. He'd paid for being allowed to stable the horse in the royal stables, dearly so. He could still feel the pain of his payment at Marcus Flint's hands to this day.

"I was," Cedric told him proudly. "I saved your mother's favorite horse, Barnabas. I suppose he's your horse now."

"What happened, Cedric?" Harry asked, surprising the young stable hand that he even knew his name. "What happened to my parents kingdom?"

"I'll tell you that later," Cedric said urgently. He looked around for his spare set of clothes that he usually brought for when the horses were particularly frisky. He knew that the only way to get Prince Harry out of there without his being seen was in disguise. "Here." He thrust the clothes into Harry's arms. "Change into these and go to this location and wait for me there. We may be able to spark a renewal in the forces that would dethrone the queen. But only if you are willing to help us, King Harry of the Potter kingdom."

"But Cedric, I'm just a boy…"

"So was King Arthur and he started one of the most fabulous kingdoms in all of the world." He nodded towards the next stall. "Change quickly. We don't have much time."

Harry sighed taking Cedric's spare clothes and going into the next stall to change. Everything would change because of this one boy and it all started with Cedric and this one meeting.

**I hope you all enjoyed A New Camelot as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	22. Strange Meeting at a Wedding

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Insane Prompt List, Hogwarts Bingo Party, Meet Cute Marathon, and Hello Spring on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker, and Spring Bingo on Monthly Challenges for All. **

**Insane Prompt List: 307. (character) Hannah Abbott**

**Hogwarts Bingo Party: O1 Hannah/Anthony**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 22 - ****A is at his/her cousin's wedding. At the reception, A wanders over to B, a stranger, and in the spirit of the romance and happiness in the air, asks if they're here for the groom or the bride. B's answer is both simple and, ultimately, confusing: "_Neither_."**

**Hello Spring: 10. The scent of flowers in the breeze. **

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 541 words**

**Spring Bingo: 5B (wind/breeze), 541 words**

**Warning for fluff to the extreme. Word count is 541 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Strange Meeting at a Wedding. **

The soft spring breeze blew the warm scent of flowers through the air as Hannah looked around the reception for her cousin Septimia's wedding. Septimia had gotten lucky that the rain the weather forecasters had been predicting had decided to hold out. Looking up at the blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds, she couldn't think of a better day than this for a wedding.

Drifting around the dance floor at the reception she spotted someone she didn't think that Septimia would know. Then again nowadays you couldn't really be too sure who knew who. Walking over she took a seat next the blond-haired blue-eyed man giving him a small shy, friendly smile.

"Lovely day for a wedding, isn't it?" she asked conversationally.

"It's down right gorgeous," the man said happily. "Couldn't have planned for a better day than this, now could she have?"

Hannah shook her head sending her blonde curls into an uproar. "I guess you couldn't really ask for a better day."

"Whose side are you here with?" the man asked curiously. "His or hers? Not that's any of my business. I just enjoy guessing whose side people are one."

"Hers. The bride is my cousin, Septimia Abbott."

"Makes sense. I could tell you were related you both have similar facial features."

Hannah giggled, then grew serious. "Alright. I've told you mine, so let's have it."

The man looked at her with a mixture of shocked confusion. Like he didn't know exactly what she was asking for.

"Excuse me? What?" he chuckled shyly.

"Whose side are you on? The brides?"

The man shook his head slowly.

"The grooms then?"

"Neither, actually."

"Neither?" She'd never heard of someone going to a wedding for someone they didn't even know to begin with. It was just plain strange and unheard of for Hannah. "Why go to a wedding if you don't know anyone there?"

"I just enjoy weddings. The pomp and circumstance. The joining of two lives together as one. It's all so beautiful and final. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I would. I just don't think I would go to a wedding for someone I'd never met before."

"Not even to just watch the people they know dance?"

"Not even then."

The man chuckled and held out his hand. "I'm Anthony," he said confidently. "Anthony Goldstein. Not that that makes me any more familiar with your cousin Septimia but it'll make me asking you out a little less awkward."

"Hannah Abbott," she said, taking his hand in her own. "Are you asking me out?"

"Not yet but when I do that is." He stood up and pushed in his chair. "It was lovely talking to you, Hannah. I have to go now, my ride is here." He pointed towards the scowling man standing near the fence. "Here's my number. Give me a call later." He put a piece of paper on the table next to her hand.

Hannah watched as Anthony crossed the dance floor and left. She couldn't help but feel a connection to the strange man. She picked up the number off the table as her cousin Septimia motioned her over to give her maid of honor speech. This wedding was starting to turn out better than Hannah thought possible.

**I hope you all enjoyed Strange Meeting at a Wedding as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


	23. Lost in Translation

**Hey everyone! This story was brought to you by Insane Prompt List, Ultimate Battle Competition, Meet Cute Marathon, Hello Spring, Wacky Wandmakers, and Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also for Link Maker on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Insane Prompt List: 780. (AU) Cheerleader**

**Ultimate Battle Competition: Harpies Wings Price 700 word, femslash**

**Meet Cute Marathon: Prompt 23 - A is in a country where they can't speak the language and is assigned a translator, B. (Alternatively, A is deaf and needs an interpreter)**

**Hello Spring: 9. New Beginnings**

**Wacky Wandmakers: Fir Wood Wand (AU) Muggle, and Thunderbird Tail Feather Core (character) Molly Weasley**

**Supernatural Fanclub Merfolk: Meggie Marie (relationship) mother/daughter**

**Link Maker: Meet Cutes, 1,218 words**

**Warning for Muggle!AU, Cheerleader!AU, Disability!AU, and a bit out of character. Word count is 1,218 words. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of The Cutest Meetings Lost in Translation. **

* * *

Molly watched sadly as the blonde-haired girl was led into the office, obviously, by her parents. The sullen angry look on the girls face made her feel even more bad for the poor thing. The principal of the school had told her the whole story when they were looking for someone to become Narcissa Black's ears.

"What is she doing here?" the loud angry voice screamed out. The ice blue eyes glared daggers at Molly.

"Narcissa…"

Narcissa made a couple of hand gestures that weren't exactly the nicest thing in the world to say to one's own family. Then she repeated her question in sign language. Folding her arms over her chest, her glared turned from Molly to Mrs. and Mr. Black.

Mrs. Black, calmly took the lead in the conversation. Her moved in a flash as she signed, not even noticing the terrified look on her daughter's face.

"It would probably help her learn her new language if you slowed down and showed her," Molly said gently, getting a surprised look from Narcissa. "It's like if you were to learn, say Latin. You wouldn't want your teacher to be screaming at you in Latin the first day, would you?"

"I suppose not, whoever you are," was snide answer of Mrs. Black.

"This is Molly Prewett," Principal Dumbledore said, "she will be helping Narcissa navigate her new world. Sign language is a second language to her because of her brother Fabian."

Mrs. Black, looked Molly up and down as though she couldn't believe that Molly would know more than one language at all. "Thank you for your help, Miss Prewett," she said, not sounding like she meant it.

Molly looked over to see the usually perky blonde cheerleader rapid fire cursing in sign language. She had to stifle a giggle as Mrs. Black made the mistake of thinking her daughter was complimenting her outfit.

Molly quickly signed back. "That's not nice, Narcissa."

The blue eyes widened in shock. She obviously wasn't used to anyone figuring out what she was saying or doing.

"How many words does your daughter know of her new language, Mrs. Black?" Molly asked curiously, watching Narcissa continue to curse to herself in the corner.

"Just the ones that she keeps repeating over and over again," snapped Narcissa's mother. "Can you at least get her to stop that?"

Molly wanted to get angry at this rude woman but then again she was probably just lashing out from pain and confusion. She remembers when Fabian lost his hearing how her mother was upset for days on end. Maybe that was what Mrs. Black was going through at the moment? Walking over to Narcissa, gently touched the girl's arm, motioning for her to get up.

"I'll just show Narcissa to the classroom set up for our hearing impaired students," Molly said, with a small smile in Narcissa's direction. "Then perhaps I could teach her a few words and sentences that will be helpful in everyday life."

"Come on," Molly said, forming each word perfectly with her lips, hoping that Narcissa could at least read them to see what she was saying. When the girl stared blankly back at her she knew that wasn't the case. She turned to Mrs. Black to see the older woman getting upset about what was going on.

"Narcissa, go with her," she snapped at her daughter as though the girl was still able to hear. "Go with her!"

Molly quickly jotted what she'd said on a piece of paper and held it out Narcissa. She could see the confusion leave the girl's face as she nodded. "You shouldn't yell someone who can't hear what you are saying, Mrs. Black. It just doesn't make any sense." She jotted another note to Narcissa about teaching her a few common phrases and words in sign language. This got a smile from the cheerleader.

"The nerve of some people," she heard Mrs. Black murmur as she lead Narcissa out of the principal's office.

* * *

That had been over a month ago, their first meeting. Narcissa had surprised Molly very much with her willingness to learn the new language and even seemed to pick it up rather quickly. It seemed like no time she was signing almost as fast as Molly herself was.

The only problem was convincing Narcissa's entire family to learn the new language. Molly knew from experience that learning a new language was hard. She, herself, had been resistant to learn when she had to for Fabian. It wasn't until Fabian tried to have a conversation with her without his interpreter that she finally figured she'd learn. But she couldn't see Mrs. or Mr. Black being that easy to convince. They were still yelling and shouting at her like she was a normal hearing teenager.

"You, Miley," snapped Mrs. Black, gaining Molly's attention. "What is she saying?"

Molly stifled the laugh that was building up. "Figure it out yourself," Molly interpreted, gaining a smile from Narcissa.

"I don't pay you to sass me, girl. What did she say?"

"I told you. That is exactly what your daughter said. Give or take a few words I would not rather repeat in supposed good company."

Mrs. Black's face turned an angry scarlet red. She sputtered angrily and glared at Molly as though she was the lowest of the low.

Narcissa's hand rapidly moved, signing away like there was no tomorrow. The words flowed like nothing that Molly had ever seen from the girl before. Unlike the first time they'd met they weren't all dirty words either. They were the words of a hurt confused teenager whose parents were doing everything they could to understand what their child was going through.

"Tell her slow down," snapped Mrs. Black.

"She's hurt, Mrs. Black," Molly said, shaking her head when Mrs. Black's angry face turned to one of concern as she checked her daughter over. "Not physically hurt. She's emotionally hurt. The people she thought she could count on to get her through anything, aren't pulling their weight. You and Mr. Black are her parents, Mrs. Black. Yet you won't learn the language your daughter needs you to so you can talk to her. That hurts her more than not even letting her learn the language to begin with. She wants to talk to you, Mrs. Black. She wants to talk to you and your husband but she can't. She can't because you won't learn her language."

Narcissa finally slowed to stop. She was panting from exertion of her anger and emotional pain but she looked freer than Molly had ever seen her. Tears shone in her eyes as she watched her mother's reaction to everything that Molly had just said. Molly could tell she seemed doubtful of the outcome.

"Can you teach me her language," Mrs. Black finally said, tears filling her voice as she choked back a sob. "and stay on as Narcissa's interpreter as we learn?"

Narcissa smiled and nodded over at Molly. Something she hadn't expected to happen when she first met the cheerleader a month ago.

"I would love to stay on and help Narcissa," Molly said, smiling. She could tell right now that this was going to be the start of something beautiful for them both. Only time would tell where it lead to.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed Lost in Translation as much as I enjoyed writing it. **


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